We are urging members of the public to leave seals alone after an injured seal was thrown back in the water by a member of the public before an animal rescue officer could attend. The animal later died from their injuries.
Earlier this month an animal rescue officer was called out to an injured seal pup with a gash on their head at Roseisle near Elgin. When the officer arrived a member of the public admitted they had picked the seal up and thrown him back into the sea. The animal rescue officer was unable to locate the seal and eventually had to leave to attend other incidents.
The following weekend there was another report of an injured seal matching the same injuries and description at Portgordon.
Animal rescue officer, Lynn Cruickshank, said: “I attended and collected the pup who had a gash at one side of his eye and a large lump, which I suspected was an abscess, on his neck.
“I took him to our National Wildlife Centre to be checked over but sadly the seal died from his injuries.
“Had this seal been left alone to be assessed by our team when he was first spotted it’s possible he would have survived. Sadly, this seal has gone on to suffer with his injuries for a further week which could have been avoided.
“Approaching a seal is also potentially dangerous as seals are wild animals and can inflict a nasty bite when scared or in pain. Even young seals have the potential to cause injury.
“Never touch a seal or attempt to carry or chase them back into the sea.
“Seals often haul out on land to rest and usually this is nothing to worry about. However, if a seal is injured or sick they could be out of the water for good reason. Forcing them back into the water is likely to cause only cause further stress for the animal.
“If you are unsure whether a seal needs our help, please monitor them from a safe distance. If the animal has any visible signs of injury, looks generally unwell, or has been out of the water for 12 to 24 hours please contact our helpline on 03000 999 999 for advice.”
For more information on what to do if you are concerned about a seal, please visit our website https://www.scottishspca.org/advice/seal
