THE fourth seal pup rescued in Jersey this season has been sent to Guernsey’s animal shelter for rehabilitation.
A team from British Divers Marine Life Rescue recovered the marine mammal – which has since been named Maya – after she was found struggling at the Corbière causeway.
The underweight five-to-six-week-old pup was also suffering from dehydration and a mouth infection.
She is now receiving care from the GSPCA, along with two other Jersey seal pups, who were brought to the animal shelter in November.
Donna de Gruchy, the Jersey co-ordinator for British Divers Marine Life Rescue, explained that Maya was learning how to feed herself when she was rescued.
“She would have been going through the motions of being recently moulted and weaned, living off the fat reserves she had built up with mum,” she said.
The stormy conditions mean that newly-weaned pups “struggle with constantly being washed away in the big swells”, she explained.
Ms de Gruchy reminded Islanders not to handle a seal pup if they find one and instead call the JSPCA on 724331 – or their out-of-hours number, 07797 720331.
Faulkner and Jem, the seals rescued from Jersey in November, are due to be released into the wild from the GSPCA this month if all goes well.
Fliquet, another seal found in November, recently underwent rehabilitation at RSPCA Mallydams Wood Wildlife Centre in Hastings.
