The Jersey branch of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue team were called to assist the dangerously thin male pup after he was found by a dog walker near Green Island.
Rescue team co-ordinator Donna De Gruchy said the pup was believed to be three to four weeks old.
‘The small pup had already moulted his white lanugo coat, showing he had already been weaned from mum, and fending for himself in the wild,’ Mrs De Gruchy said. ‘This gives an approximate age of three to four weeks, when a pup is left to fend alone and teach himself to feed. This poor pup is very underweight. So it is in fact unlikely he had the full three weeks nursing with mum.’
She said, based on his condition, he had been struggling with the recent stormy weather. ‘He has an awful cough,’ she said.
New Era vets were keeping a watch on the pup last night in the hopes of keeping him comfortable until he could be transferred to the care of a specialist team in Guernsey today.
‘The young, underweight male grey seal has a presumed respiratory infection which we have started to treat,’ attending vet Peter Haworth said. ‘He does have a slightly guarded prognosis at this stage. However, if we can stabilise him, he will have a much better chance at the GSPCA rehabilitation centre.’
Marine mammal medics Martine Venton-Heys and Ailsa Phillips treated the pup at the beach before he was taken to New Era.
Getting timely treatment to the pup has given him the best chance of survival, Mrs De Gruchy said.
It is the second pup to have been washed up this season.
‘Following this weekend’s weather and higher tides, I was not surprised at all to get a call this morning about a pup washing in,’ she said. ‘To be honest, I was on alert all weekend. Although this pup is feisty and alert, his respiratory infection would not help him to survive this brutal time of year in the wild.’
The team is hoping to move the pup to Guernsey today with the help of Blue Islands airline.
The GSPCA have already agreed to take the pup alongside Andrew, another seal pup who washed in last month and was found at West Park slipway.
Mrs De Gruchy said transporting the seal by air was preferable, as the shorter travel time meant less distress for the animal,
However, if needed, the newspaper delivery service boat can also offer transport.
- If you come across a seal pup or any stranded mammal, the rescue team’s advice is to keep your distance and make sure you keep any dogs away and on a lead. The animal’s best chance of survival is if they are left alone and the JSPCA (724331) or the Environment Department (441600) are called immediately. They will alert the team of volunteers to get to the beach to help.
