Rescued rare black seal pup found on Eyemouth beach 'doing well'

A rare female black seal pup found dehydrated on a beach in the Scottish Borders is "doing well" after being rescued by the Scottish SPCA.

The animal was spotted by a member of the public on the shore at Eyemouth before Christmas.

The Scottish SPCA took her away from the area which was busy with dog walkers and into its care.

It said the pup - named Narcissa - was responding well and would soon be released back into the wild.

Colin Seddon, who manages the Scottish SPCA national wildlife centre in Fishcross, said: "We tend to get several black seal pups each year which are far less common than lighter grey colours.

"What is unusual is that she is female. Usually the darker the seal the more likely it is to be male.

"She is the first black female I can remember coming into our care."

He said the seal was now being fed whole fish and was well on the road to a full recovery.

'Not at risk'

Mr Seddon added that anyone with concerns about a seal should contact them.

"Grey seal pups which no longer have a white coat may still need our assistance if they are on a public beach and at risk, or have visible signs of injury, such as bleeding, crusty or damaged eyes, discharge from the nose, coughing or generally looking unwell," he said.

"The public should contact our animal helpline and an operator will be able to assist.

"If the seal pup is not at risk and looks and acts healthy it should be left alone."