Hard-working staff at RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre are rehabilitating eight orphaned seal pups.
The centre on London Road in Nantwich had braced itself for a surge in intake of baby seals at the start of the traditional seal season.
But the large influx of common seal pups could be added to by more stricken young seals in the coming weeks when the breeding season for grey seals begins.
Caring for seal pups requires specialist facilities and Stapeley is just one of a handful of wildlife rescue centres in the UK capable of undertaking rehabilitation.
But with numbers expected to rise it will need to rely on donations so that it can get the little creatures back to full health.
RSPCA Stapeley Grange manager Lee Stewart said: “Stapeley, like other seal facilities across the country, is currently full of common seal pups.
“We have already started receiving calls about orphaned grey seal pups, whose breeding season starts slightly later than the common seals.
“We are trying our best to move our pups onto self feeds as quickly as possible so that we can free up space in our isolation area, but many are still under veterinary care and so need to stay in.
“Our pups will be in for several months before they can be moved on to either the Welsh Mountain Zoo or RSPCA East Winch where they will have time in deep pools before being released back to where nature intended.
“They are all doing well, although a couple are stubborn feeders, which is nothing the team here isn’t used to dealing with.”
A growing seal population has left many rescue centres more stretched than ever as higher numbers of lost pups require help.
But the RSPCA stresses people should make sure before approaching pups that may appear to be abandoned, when they are not.
A seal pup on a beach by itself is not always a cause for concern, as mothers leave their pups alone very early on in their lives.
If the pup seems fit and healthy and does not look distressed, it is a good idea to monitor it for 24 hours, as pups are sometimes taken to rescue centres by mistake.
Seals can also have a nasty bite, so it is always best to observe from a distance of at least 100 metres.
Stapeley monitors seal pups rehabilitated at the centre and staff enjoy hearing of sightings of the animals they have helped.
An orphaned pup called Groot (pictured, below) who was rescued off the Yorkshire coast by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue and brought to the centre in July 2020, was recently found thriving at a location off the Kent coast.
If members of the public are concerned about a seal they can contact the RSPCA for advice on 0300 1234 999.
There is more advice about what to do if you see a seal pup on the charity’s website: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/orphanedanimals/sealpups
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