Inside the seal hospital ready for a fluffy baby boom

5 hours ago

Eleanor MaslinEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary is preparing to take in seal pups that need its help

Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary A fluffy white seal pup with big black eyes and long whiskers is laying on its front and looking curiously into the camera. It is laying on a grey floor next to pale pink sheets. — Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary is preparing to take in seal pups that need its help

Grey seals will soon flock to a corner of the east coast to give birth to wide-eyed, fluffy pups.

The sand dunes at Donna Nook Nature Reserve, in Lincolnshire, become a haven for newborns every November and December.

And a little further down the coast, staff at the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary are on standby to help any pups that become injured or orphaned.

"Year on year we prepare for the worst but hope for the best," says Chloe Drew, a trustee and manager at the sanctuary.

Last year, she saw a "sure and steady intake" of pups needing help, from those separated from their mothers to other with serious injuries.

"Sometimes they try and go find their mum and will end up being attacked either by a bull seal or a different mum.

"They can come in with infected wounds and damage to the eyes.

"If the damage to the eyes is too far gone, unfortunately they wouldn't be able to be released back into the wild."

Chloe Drew from Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary says rehabilitating seals is a "very rewarding job"

A head and shoulders shot of a woman with pink hair tied back. She is wearing a nose ring and is smiling. She is wearing a navy jumper and behind her you can see solar panels and greenery. — Chloe Drew from Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary says rehabilitating seals is a "very rewarding job"

While staff at the sanctuary help rehabilitate seals all year round, they take extra measures to prepare for the season at Donna Nook.

According to Drew, this includes ordering extra boxes of smaller fish for feeding the smaller pups, and ensuring they have a "good amount" of rehydration fluid.

"We need to have lots of newspaper in and plenty of white towels, especially for the grey seals.

"When they come [in] as white coats, we need to keep them as dry as possible."

Medical interventions can be "quite costly", but the sanctuary ensures pups are given "the best care" possible, Drew adds, and the job is a "very rewarding" one.

Chloe Drew says seals need to be respected and allowed to thrive in the wild

Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary A woman wearing black overalls, glasses and blue gloves, with black hair tied back, holds a white seal pup in her hands and dries it with a towel — Chloe Drew says seals need to be respected and allowed to thrive in the wild

Drew has been rehabilitating seals for more than 20 years and says there is never a "dull day".

"These seals are absolutely adorable but people need to realise they aren't as cute and fluffy as they look.

"They can be ferocious, they can give a real bad bite. People need to respect them so they can thrive in the wild."

She adds: "Donna Nook is a wonderful reserve. Please listen to the wardens, they have lots of lovely information.

"Donations can be given to them and to your local seal sanctuary as well."

The sanctuary has a series of pools for the seals it rehabilitates

Two seals, one grey, the other white, bob their heads above the water as they swim in a pool at a wildlife sanctuary. A third seal can be seen crossing from one pool to another. Green shrubs and fences can be seen in the background. — The sanctuary has a series of pools for the seals it rehabilitates

Donna Nook National Nature Reserve covers more than 6 miles (10km) of coastline, between Grainthorpe Haven in the north and Saltfleet in the south, and is run by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.

The Ministry of Defence maintains part of the area as a bombing target range and the trust urges visitors to always stay within the viewing area behind the fence and strictly observe all military warnings, including red flags.

Visitors should also:

Never feed or pet the seals
Ensure children are accompanied at all times
Never take dogs into the seal viewing area
Avoid flash photography
Be considerate when visiting and park only in designated areas
During seal season, visit during the week if possible. At weekends, the narrow lanes, car park and viewing area get very congested.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North.

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