Seal pup rescued in Cornwall over starvation fears

The pup, named Parsley by the sanctuary, was underweight when found

A seal pup has been rescued in Cornwall after fears it was starving to death.

Volunteer medics from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue were alerted to the lone pup on Wednesday.

It was monitored for 24 hours, but, after showing signs of starvation, it was rescued from a small beach near Portheras Cove.

Vets found it was likely to be only a few days old and it was underweight. The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is looking after the pup, now named Parsley.

Rescuers said they hoped it could be released back into the wild when it was healthy.

'Last resort'

Tamara Cooper, curator at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, said: "Bringing pups into the sanctuary is always a last resort.

"Though they will receive expert care from our team, the best thing for a pup is to spend as much time with its mother as possible - it's never an easy decision to take a pup off the beach."

The sanctuary said it costs about £2,000 to rescue and rehabilitate a seal for release, which is funded by donations and visits to its site in Gweek, near Helston.

Jana Sirova, general manager at the sanctuary, said: "It has been a tough year for many families, charities and businesses, as we've seen lots of budgets being tightened to accommodate the hit of cost of living right now.

"However, as a charity, we need all the support we can get to ensure we can continue to care for these beautiful marine mammals, like Parsley, around our coastline for years to come."