Seal Pups Rescued in Scotland
13 July 2009
by Anai Rhoads
AnaiRhoads.org -- Scotland announced the first seal pup rescue of the season last week.
The two-day old female seal pup was rescued on a busy beach near a caravan park in the Dornoch Firth. She was said to be either a common or harbor seal and that there were signs that the umbilical cord was recently detached.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) received a call from the coastguard that a newly born seal was on the beach without it's mother. The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) sent out an officer to join BDMLR to determine if the seal pup should be brought into a seal hospital funded by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
The pup, who was named Freddy after IFAW CEO Fred O'Regan, made the two-hour trip safely to the seal rehabilitation unit, despite being severely dehydrated. She was placed in a pen to cool down before being fully examined. Freddy weighed in at 8 kilos and showed signs of injury to her body.
"This little seal is likely to be the first of a number of stranded or abandoned pups that need our help in the coming weeks and months," said Alan Knight, Chairman of BDMLR. "If it wasn't for IFAW's support for the rehabilitation unit, we wouldn't be able to rescue these animals in distress and give them the care they need before returning them to the wild."
Later the same day a second female pup, who was said to be a few days older, was brought to the unit and was admitted. She was suffering from an eye infection and was noticeably thin. The hospital reported that once her infection clears up, both she and Freddy will share a pen together. The unit believes that the companionship will assist with their mental and physical development.
The British coastline has seen a dramatic decline in the number of harbor seals over the years. In 2000, there were 36,345 seals. By 2007, this number dropped by 56 percent to 23,277.
Scotland and the United Kingdom are responsible for ensuring the safety of the harbor seals, since marine mammals are protected under the European Union Habitats directive.
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