Staff from the Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) and the ManxSPCA joined forces on Wednesday 4th November to rescue a seal pup whose mother had died on the Calf of Man the day before. Sadly it was too young to fend for itself so the Manx SPCA was contacted to rescue the seal.

Normally the ManxSPCA is the point of contact for all live seal pup strandings, with the MWT dealing with dead marine mammal strandings. However, due to the unusual location of the pup and the need for a boat, a joint rescue was organised.

Thankfully the MWT were able to monitor the pup as their annual seal pup surveys were still taking place on the Calf at the time. This enabled us to confirm that the dead female was in fact the mother of the seal pup. Confirmation of this was vital to make sure the pup wasn’t removed unnecessarily.

The pup was rescued quickly and without any problems. Luckily the weather was on our side and it was a calm crossing for the pup back to the Island, where it is being cared for by the ManxSPCA until it is old enough to be released back into the wild.

We are happy to report the pup is doing well and has put on over 2kg in weight since she was recovered from the Calf and is starting to lose her white fur coat. Please remember, although the seal pups look cute they can be aggressive and should not be approached. If you have any concerns for their well being please contact the ManxSPCA on 851672.

Thanks goes to the ManxSPCA for their expertise and also Richard Hartnoll for providing his rib and boat skills in transporting our unusual cargo.

Photo - Oracle at the ManxSPCA.