Charity hopes to develop seal facilities

A seal pup was washed up on Jersey's south coast

Jersey's main animal charity wants to develop more facilities to help it look after rescued seals.

Until recently there was nowhere in the Channel Islands for injured seals to recover, after Guernsey closed its facilities for refurbishment. But the JSPCA has since created a space to look after animals that are washed up.

The JSPCA has pens and shallow outdoor pools to treat seals but can only care for them until they are a certain age.

Bosses said the charity's next priority was to build a space where seals could be nursed until they were ready to be released back into the wild.

"At the final stage they need a much deeper pond than we've got available here at the shelter," said the interim CEO, Tom Noel.

"Over the coming months we will be going out and looking to see if we can locate a location for that," he said.

"They have to be able to dive for their own fish - that's why we need a bigger pool," said Anel Crowther, a volunteer for Marine Mammal Medics in Jersey.

Anel Crowther, Marine Mammal Medics volunteer, hopes plans will help injured seals in Jersey

Mr Noel said: "Seals are something that we definitely need to have provision for.

"The GSPCA and British Divers Marine Life Rescue have done a brilliant job over the last few years, taking the strain for the Channel Islands' seals that we get.

"My view is that the JSPCA definitely needs to be part of that and supporting those other welfare charities."

Volunteers who care for sick seal pups said if all their care needs could be met in Jersey, it would reduce the stress and anxiety the mammals suffered when flown to the UK.

"They go to the UK at the moment but again, the UK have their own challenges because they have so many seals coming in.

"It's also stressful for us to try to find pilots to fly them over and again, it's stressful for a seal to fly," said Ms Crowther.