Seal sanctuary takes in first pup of the season

A seal sanctuary has taken in its first pup of the season, a grey female it has named Babybel.

Mammal medics from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue had monitored the pup for 48 hours before stepping in to rescue it when its mother did not return to nurse and it became increasingly weak.

The pup thought to be about seven days old was rescued at Port Gaverne on 6 August and taken to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.

Beth Goodridge, animal care specialist at the charity, said it was "really pleased with the progress she is making" adding her jobs now included "eating, sleeping and growing".

Since arriving at the sanctuary, the pup has learnt to feed itself and recently moved outside into the sanctuary's nursery pools, the charity said.

It said the aim now was to help build strength, interact with other seal pups and learn the essential skills needed to survive in the wild.

The charity hopes to be able to release the pup back into the sea once it has returned to a healthy weight.

The sanctuary stressed, however, that not every seal pup found alone on a beach needed rescuing.

Grey seal mothers could leave their pups on the beach while they feed at sea and may be watching from a distance, it said.

Approaching a pup can cause unnecessary stress and may prevent its mother from returning.

Members of the public are asked to keep a distance of at least 100m (330ft) where possible, keep dogs on leads and never put a seal pup back into the sea as they need time out of the water.

Anyone who believes a pup to be thin, injured, unwell or distressed can contact the Cornish Seal Sanctuary on 01326 221361 or the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) on 01825 765546.

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