Dehydrated grey seal pup rescued off rocks

Whiskers has been transferred to the Cornwall Seal Hospital

A dehydrated and underweight seal pup was rescued from a Jersey beach, before being transferred to a hospital in Cornwall.

Members of British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) attended to the seal that had been found by some walkers at Rocco Tower.

The pup, named Whiskers, had bite marks across his back and an abscess near his hind flippers.

With the tide turning, the decision was made to move him from the rocks so he could be treated.

BDMLR CI said it wanted to thank local pilots who voluntarily flew Whiskers to Cornwall

Donna de Gruchy, local co-ordinator for BDMLR Channel Islands, said: "He's definitely had a bite from one of the bigger male seals that hang around there so it was just a case of not only that, he's also underweight, he's very dehydrated so he would have been really struggling already."

She liaised with the coastguard while four BDMLR medics were on the rocks, and getting him to a safe area before the tide came in.

Whiskers was taken into the New Era Veterinary Hospital in the island for further assessment and hydrated with fluids.

The GSPCA seal facility in Guernsey is currently being refurbished, so Whiskers was flown by local pilots who voluntarily transferred him to the Cornwall Seal Hospital for further care.