Seal numbers rise in Cumbria following dog disturbances

Seal numbers have been building at South Walney Nature reserve since it started drone surveys in 2016

Fears that seals might not return to a nature reserve following disturbances by dogs have proved unfounded after numbers have increased.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust said the colony at South Walney "has bounced back".

A peak of 466 seals were counted by drone at the reserve in January.

The conservation group had feared that repeated incidents involving free-running dogs frightening seals in 2022 might deter the mammals returning to give birth.

During the disturbances the animals had "flushed" - meaning they left their their resting site for the water.

Return to "high numbers"

South Walney is the only grey seal colony in Cumbria and there is no public access to the beaches and the spit at the end of the nature reserve where the seals haul out at low tide.

Despite this, there were concerns that people had ignored the signs.

In the last counting survey the reserve said there were reports of two men with dogs off leads frightening seals - in addition to another incident - in January last year.

However, the fortnightly surveys from September 2022 until March revealed a return to "high numbers".

Since surveys started in 2015, 48 pups have been born - including seven pups in the latest count - with the earliest coming in October 2022 with the last one born the following month.

The latest results are not record-breaking though, the largest colony was recorded two years ago when 518 seals were present.

A spokesperson for the site said: "Let's all work to keep disturbances away from these wonderful animals, so that the coming year proves equally successful for Cumbria's only grey seal colony."