'Roger' the seal rescued from Fleetwood beach

Police and marine experts launched a rescue bid after a seal pup was spotted on a busy patch of Fleetwood beach.
Roger the seal was found on Fleetwood beachRoger the seal was found on Fleetwood beach
Roger the seal was found on Fleetwood beach

The young grey pup was reported to police on Sunday, 29 January by concerned passers-by who spotted the fledgling lying close to popular dog walking routes.

Police called in expert marine rescuers, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), who carried out checks on the pup.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The seal, who was nicknamed 'Roger' by police, was found to be fit and well.

Roger the seal was found on Fleetwood beachRoger the seal was found on Fleetwood beach
Roger the seal was found on Fleetwood beach

A spokesperson for the BDMLR said: "A young grey seal was found on the beach at Fleetwood. The seal appeared healthy and well with no obvious injuries so we relocated the pup to a quieter spot of the beach.

"Seals often rest on land and we would not return a pup to sea in these circumstances. However, the seal was found on a busy part of the beach and there was a risk posed to the pup from dogs.

"Young pups who are no longer dependent on their mother will sometimes wander, but it's important to remember not to touch seals as they have a nasty bite and carry bacteria."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Anybody who is concerned about the well-being of a marine animal can contact the BDMLR on 01825 765546 during office hours and 07787 433412 out of office hours.

Roger the seal was found on Fleetwood beachRoger the seal was found on Fleetwood beach
Roger the seal was found on Fleetwood beach

The RSPCA has the following advice on dealing with seal pups on beaches

- It is not unusual to see a seal pup by itself. Seal mums leave their pups very early on in life, when they are weaned at 3 to 4 weeks old.- Please do not touch the seal! They can give a nasty bite, which will become infected by the bacteria that live in a seal’s mouth.- Do not allow dogs or other animals to harass a seal – it could be scared back into the water and washed out to sea by strong currents. - Never put a seal pup back in the sea as it may get into difficulty.