Warning after exhausted seal pup harassed

A man was filmed stroking the exhausted seal pup

People are being warned to stay away from seals after an exhausted pup was harassed.

A four-month-old had hauled itself out of the rough seas at Bridlington on Saturday to gain much-needed rest.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said a crowd gathered, and one man was seen stroking the seal.

The charity said the pup used so much energy trying to escape that it "shut down" at the top of a flight of steps around the harbour area.

The seal was monitored by a BDMLR medic for two hours and a barrier was put in place to keep the public away.

However, it was still being disturbed by the fuss and was moved to a safe spot to sleep.

The seal had since recovered and made its own way back into the sea, the charity said.

Video footage shows the seal’s reaction to the unwanted attention, which was cause for concern, according to Emily Mayman of BDMLR.

She said: “The seal has turned and looked at everybody and then shuts down to sleep. It is a worry that it has tolerated human presence because it shows you how exhausted it is not to defend itself.”

It is quite common for pups to want to leave the rough seas for a rest at this time of year and Ms Mayman said it was vital people leave the seals alone.

'Stay away'

She added: “They are not cuddly creatures that want human contact. It is advised people stay at the very least 50m away and they do not harass or touch. If you see someone doing that, tell them it is not OK.

“There was an instance at Withernsea on the same day where a man thought he knew what to do and picked one up and threw it back in the water, which would have just made the seal even more exhausted when it hauled itself back out.”

BDML is made up of 2,500 volunteers across the UK and attends to whales, dolphins and seals.

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