THE Cornish Seal Sanctuary has admitted three injured seal pups to their Seal hospital at the site in Gweek, after being transferred from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue Seal Hospital.
Following this years’ ‘Bugs and Minibeasts’ naming theme; Caterpillar, Tiger Moth and Monarch have joined pups named Sun Beetle and Purple Hairstreak to continue their road to recovery at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.
Monarch is a male seal pup who was rescued by BDMLR on November 14 in Port Issac. The melanistic pup was found to be malnourished with a swollen left flipper that the medics were concerned could be fractured. Monarch has since had an X-ray on his flipper and has started antibiotic treatment for an infection.
Curator at the Sanctuary, Tamara Cooper, comments; “Monarch is such a handsome pup! Only one in 400 seals are melanistic – meaning they are entirely black. The melanism is caused when too much of the pigment melanin has been produced, and appears in seals by giving them black eyes, fur and nails.
Monarch is doing well, and after a somewhat uncertain start; he’s now in the best place to recover from his nasty flipper infection and recuperate fully before moving into our nursery pools.”
Charities British Divers Marine Life Rescue and the Cornwall Seal Sanctuary work closely rescuing seal pups in need from around the Cornish coastline, with over 40 vulnerable pups being rescued already this season so far.
Tamara continues: “The passionate team at British Divers Marine Life Rescue has played a crucial role in rescuing and caring for these fragile seal pups before they have come to us at the Sanctuary for the final stages of their rehabilitation in preparation for release.
“This lifesaving work is a true team effort, only made possible by the collaboration between skilled veterinary surgeons, tireless volunteers, and the wider community. The specialist facility at BDMLR serves as an essential ICU and overflow centre, offering the pups vital support when our hospital reaches capacity.
“We all have a shared passion for giving these pups the best chance of survival once released back to the wild.”
What to do if you find a seal pup on the beach:
Beachgoers are advised to keep dogs on leads and children away, and not to approach or chase the seal back into the sea. If you believe the pup is in distress or needs medical attention, you can find the signs to look out for and what to do next. You can also call the Cornish Seal Sanctuary on 01326 221361 or the BDMLR 24-hour hotline on 01825 765546 for more advice.