This week, a public venue on the Isle of Wight had an unusual and unexpected guest – a young Grey seal pup! The seal placed himself out on the shop front and went to sleep beside their benches, much to the surprise of customers and staff alike.
Our Marine Mammal Medics quickly attended and found the pup underweight at just 13kg, approx 4 weeks old, dehydrated and exhausted. He was uplifted for assessment at Carisbrooke Vets, where he received round-the-clock care and feeding overnight to stabilise him for his onward journey.
The following morning, Medics transported him across the Solent by ferry – with the feisty youngster sleeping soundly for most of the journey – before handing him into the expert care of the RSPCA rehabilitation centre. There, he has been named Elmer, and will spend the next couple of months regaining his strength and piling on the blubber he needs to thrive back in the wild when he is released back on the west coast.
Thanks to efficient reporting, this pup wasn’t ushered back in to the sea and had a team of people helping him – from The Lazy Wave staff, Red Funell ferrys, Carisbrooke vets, the BDMLR Medics and RSPCA Mallydams.