The Marine and Wildlife Rescue charity sent a team of volunteers to assess the situation on its first call out of the new year.
The animal rescue charity had been responding to calls about “many seals” following the recent high tides.
Its first call out for 2026 was to help a curious seal in Gorleston.
The seal pup after being spotted in Gorleston, Norfolk. Image: Marine and Wildlife Rescue Facebook (Image: Marine and Wildlife Rescue)
They said that the first call for assistance in 2026 was received at 8am on New Year’s Day.
They said: “The pup appeared in the car park on Riverside Road in Gorleston and was trying to get beneath one of the parked cars.
“Despite a thorough search by our team, it could not be found, although we were certain that it may have shuffled into an adjacent garden.”
On January 2 (last Friday), the team was called out once more.
It said: “This afternoon we were alerted that it had been found in a front garden of a house by a postman delivering to an address close to the car park the pup had originally been seen in.
“We went to retrieve the pup and have now transferred it to the team at East Winch Wildlife Centre.
The seal pup after being rescued in Gorleston, Norfolk. Image: Marine and Wildlife Rescue Facebook (Image: Marine and Wildlife Rescue)
“Although fairly bright and alert, there was not a chance the pup could be returned to a local beach; the pup was significantly underweight for its age as it had started to moult the whitecoat.
“Very grateful to the team at East Winch for taking the pup today.”
Reports had been issued to the service amid continuing calls for many seals “since the combination of recent high tides and births of seal pups continues to reach its peak.”
A post on the Marine and Wildlife Rescue Facebook page said: “We continue to receive calls for many seals since the combination of recent high tides and births of seal pups continues to reach its peak.”