'Hungry and dehydrated' grey seal pup rescued

An "exhausted, hungry and dehydrated" grey seal pup has been rescued from a Jersey beach.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue Channel Islands (BDMLR CI) said on Facebook the pup, found in Bonne Nuit harbour, weighed the same as a newborn, even though he was three to four weeks old.

The team named the pup Rocky and thought he had been washed away from his mother before he had weaned, leaving him without a vital store of fat.

Rocky's outlook was considered "bleak", but he was taken to New Era Veterinary Hospital where he was given vital fluids and is now doing well.

The BDMLR said: "Grey seals do not seek out human interaction, but this pup knew even though there was a small crowd of people on the beach that he needed to haul out and rest.

"He hauled himself up the beach as his finders stood back, got dogs under control and called us straight away. He then fell into a deep sleep."

There is no seal facility on the island and Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is closed for refurbishment, so the BDMLR team have been trying to find him a new home.

"All the offers of help and sites have been hugely appreciated. We did have a plan in place, and through no fault of our own, we are disappointed to say this fell through," the BDMLR said.

It added that Rocky was "doing very well with blended mackerel soup daily".

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