Ros TappendenSouth of England
Allan Cummings
The seal pup was found underweight and exhausted near Seatown
An underweight and struggling seal pup rescued from a litter-strewn beach after Storm Bram is recovering very well, rescuers have said.
The juvenile seal was spotted covered in mud and surrounded by debris near Seatown, Dorset, on 9 December.
A member of the public alerted British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) which rescued the animal and it is now being cared for by the RSPCA at West Hatch, Somerset.
Rescuers have named it Nirvana and say the male grey seal will eventually be released back in to the wild.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “He was underweight at 13.9kg (30.6lbs), covered in mud and very dehydrated, so had clearly been struggling alone for a while.
“We are very grateful to the members of the public that raised the alarm so this seal could be given the care he needs.
“After being given initial fluids and warmth to stabilise him, he quickly started to show his personality and, very messily, ate fish for himself without requiring assistance.”
RSPCA West Hatch
Nirvana weighed 13.9kg (30.6lbs) when he arrived at West Hatch rescue centre
The charity said Nirvana would soon move to an outdoor pool with other seals to develop his fitness before he is released.
The RSPCA said it had taken in a further five grey seal pups after Nirvana.
The spokesperson said: “Whilst we cannot say for certain all of these seals were brought in due to the storms – the upsurge in numbers that we see suggests it to be the case.
“These are the times where they are most likely to find themselves separated from their mothers, colliding with rocks, or washed up exhausted after struggling with the increased wind strengths and resultant changes in sea patterns.”
RSPCA West Hatch
Rescuers said the pup had a glossy coat and shiny eyes after a week at the centre
BDMLR said it responded to multiple reports of seals needing assistance in recent weeks.
It said Nirvana was found “underweight, exhausted and surrounded by debris with nowhere safe to rest”.
The charity said its approach was to reduce disturbance and monitor pups until they were united with their mothers but animals that were unwell, with no signs of their mother, were rescued for veterinary care and rehabilitation.
West Hatch rescue centre is currently caring for 44 seals.
Three grey seals that arrived in September were released together on 11 December.