Eyemouth seal pup rescued

A rare black seal found on the beach at Eyemouth is now being care for by the Scottish SPCA at their national wildlife centre in Fishcross.

The black female seal pup that was found on Eyemouth beach.

The female seal had no obvious signs of injury but she was dehydrated and on a very busy area of the beach with dog walkers and people so when a member of the public alerted them to the seal pup the Scottish SPCA took her into their care.

Like all seal pups taken to the Scottish SPCA the black pup was given a Harry Potter themed name - Narcissa.

National Wildlife Centre manager, Colin Seddon, said, “We tend to get several black seal pups each year which are far less common than lighter grey colours.

“What is unusual is that she is female. Usually the darker the seal the more likely it is to be male. She is the first black female I can remember coming into our care.

“Narcissa is doing well, she is now off tube feeds and is being assist fed whole fish and we hope to release her back into the wild soon.

“Grey seal pups which no longer have a white coat may still need our assistance if they are on a public beach and at risk, or have visible signs of injury, such as bleeding, crusty or damaged eyes, discharge from the nose, coughing or generally looking unwell.

“The public should contact our animal helpline and an operator will be able to assist.

“If the seal pup is not at risk and looks and acts healthy it should be left alone”

Anyone who discovers an injured or distressed wild animal should call the Scottish SPCA helpline 03000 999 999.