Attempts to set up a hospital to support seal pups suffering from mouth rot have been “blocked at every turn”, according to an environmental group.
Tara Seal Research, which last year reported the deaths of all 21 young seals it was monitoring, applied for funding from Northumbrian Water to set up a dedicated facility for the animals in Hartlepool.
The water company offered feedback on Tara’s application but rejected it on the grounds another organisation was already carrying out rehabilitation work in the area.
But the planned Teesmouth Seal Rescue and Conservation Centre (TSRCC) in Redcar, announced two years ago, is still not operational and the group behind it has not said when it will be.
Warning: This article contains an image of a seal which has died from mouth rot
The Tara group requires roughly £10,000 to set up a temporary seal hospital and provide rehabilitative care for pups this summer.
Dr Sue Wilson, from the team, said environmental and wildlife groups in Teesside need to come together quickly as pup strandings are expected in the next “two to three weeks”.
She said: “From experience of the past few years we anticipate Tees estuary harbour seal pups, severely undersized and with mouth rot, to start stranding along the coast from late July.
“This year, as in previous years, there is no Teesside hospital facility to look after them while they receive specialist vet treatment.”