Sick seal pup has round-the-clock care in Guernsey

The seal was "very thin" when it was rescued on Boxing Day

A "very poorly" seal pup dubbed Baby Shark has been rescued after it was found in Guernsey.

Guernsey Society for the Protection of Animals (GSPCA) said the grey seal was "very thin" when found at Frying Pan Bay on Boxing Day.

Geoff George, head of marine mammals, said the rescued pup was 23kg (3.6st) lighter than it should have been.

But he added: "Baby Shark has made it through the night and we are giving him around-the-clock care".

Steve Byrne, GSPCA manager, said it was the second seal pup rescue of this season after another, named as Grinch was found on Pembroke Bay in December.

Meanwhile, Jersey rescue pups Jem and Faulkner were also doing well, he added.

Storm damage

On rescuing seal pups, Mr Byrne advised people to wait 24 hours to determine whether a healthy pup's mother might return.

The GSPCA has released 32 grey seal pups back into the wild over the last decade, it said.

Mr Byrne said the service had faced a number of challenges following damage caused by Storm Ciaran.

As well as the need to rebuild their intensive care area for seals in 2024, the storm also meant work was required on outer aviaries, pens, fences and equipment.

He said this had led to a lack of storage, with Ferry speed having offered to house pallets of fish to feed the seal pups.

There is an ongoing appeal for in-date mackerel and herring for seal pups, as well as a fundraising project to install mobile cabins to house displaced animals and build new enclosures.