Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary gears up for Donna Nook baby boom

Grey seals will soon flock to a corner of the east coast to give birth to wide-eyed, fluffy pups.

The sand dunes at Donna Nook Nature Reserve, in Lincolnshire, become a haven for newborns every November and December.

And a little further down the coast, staff at the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary are on standby to help any pups that become injured or orphaned.

“Year on year we prepare for the worst but hope for the best,” says Chloe Drew, a trustee and manager at the sanctuary.

Last year, she saw a “sure and steady intake” of pups needing help, from those separated from their mothers to other with serious injuries.

“Sometimes they try and go find their mum and will end up being attacked either by a bull seal or a different mum.

“They can come in with infected wounds and damage to the eyes.

“If the damage to the eyes is too far gone, unfortunately they wouldn’t be able to be released back into the wild.”