Lost seal pup found in field miles away from sea

The pup was found a few hundred metres from the River Darwen on Sunday

A lost seal has been rescued after it turned up in a farmer's field - more than 15 miles (24 km) from the sea.

The puzzled pinniped was spotted in the Lancashire village of Walton-le-Dale, near Preston, after apparently swimming upstream along the River Darwen.

Veterinary nurse Rebecca Adair said she was walking her dog on Sunday when she saw her neighbour "frantically waving" after finding the mammal.

The pair called for help and the seal was later released back into the sea.

Ms Adair said she and Shaun Coathup spent three hours keeping the seal safe after coaxing it into a dog cage while waiting for experts from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue to arrive.

She said: "I quickly realised Shaun wasn't just saying hello but was signalling for my help and I ran over to him right away.

"I'm not sure what I had expected to find, but I was definitely surprised to see the little seal pup stranded in the field.

"I knew we had to do whatever we possibly could to keep the seal pup safe and away from the dangerous road."

Volunteers spent three hours keeping the seal safe

Other Walton-le-Dale residents also braved the frosty morning to help.

Ms Adair continued: "We used blankets to try to corner the seal off and keep it away from danger.

"Once the rescue volunteer arrived, they called for back-up to bring boards that would enable us to herd the seal into a crate so we could transport it safely back to sea.

"By this point we'd been in the field for a few hours already and were growing more concerned for the safety of the seal.

"I rallied a few more neighbours together and we used spare doors and gates to help ensure the seal couldn't escape while Shaun ran home and brought his Labrador's crate so we could coax the seal to safety."

The seal pup was safely released back into the sea

RSPCA animal rescue officer Kelly Nix, who also helped with the rescue, said: "The seal had come from the river - which is 18 miles inland from the coast - but this is not unusual and seals are spotted in our waterways and will happily find their own way back to the sea.

"We took the seal, who looked really healthy, to the RNLI base in Fleetwood and we released him into the sea there.

"Then off he went into the sea - it was so heart-warming to see."

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The Angling Trust said it is uncertain why seals sometimes swim so far inland, although it is thought they may be following food sources.

Ms Adair added: "After spending more than three hours out in the cold together trying to keep the seal safe, myself and the other neighbours were all so relieved to know it was finally safe.

"It was so rewarding to see the pictures of the pup being released back into the sea, knowing it had all been worth it."