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A days-old seal pup rescued up a coastal hill in Jersey two weeks ago is "doing well" in the UK –where he is being soothed by a substitute 'seal mama' after being heard crying out for his real mum.
The pup, named Fliquet in Jersey, was flown to RSPCA Mallydams Wood Wildlife Centre in Hastings for rehabilitation, where he is now known as Pappardelle.
Watch: Days-old seal pup rescued from Jersey now at Hastings RSPCA centre.
In the wild, grey seal pups rely on their mothers for the initial weeks of their life. In care, they may become distressed, as seen with Pappardelle crying out for his mother.
To provide comfort, Mallydams staff created a substitute 'seal mama' using waterproof trousers with a bottle of fish soup inside.
They said: “Pap immediately tried to find somewhere to latch onto, but struggled with our first attempt.
"We tried again, and as you can see he immediately started suckling and his body relaxed.”
“This is not a replacement way for him to be fed (though he does get some out!), but more of a way to reduce stress and feel comfort, away from us humans who have to assist feed him until he learns to eat fish.”
Found in a garage a mile inland of St Catherine’s Bay, the days-old pup had ventured halfway up a hill from Fliquet Bay in search of its mother.
Pictured: Fliquet the seal pup. (BDMLR)
Typically, the pup would have been transferred to the care of Geoff George, head of marine mammals at the GSPCA, but the Guernsey facility is undergoing refurbishment.
The Jersey British Divers Marine Life Rescue team arranged for the pup to be transported to RSPCA Mallydams in the UK with the help of volunteer pilots from Civil Air Support.
The Mallydams team will nurture Pappardelle until he's ready for release into the wild, a process expected to take three to four months.
Pictured: Fliquet was flown to the UK thanks to the Civil Air Support charity.
RSPCA Mallydams wildlife assistant Ash Peters said: “He’s still very young and hasn’t even lost his white fur yet, normally moulted at around three weeks old. He’ll need to be weaned onto fish and to reach around 35 to 40kg (77lb to 88lb)in weight before he can be returned to the wild. We plan to release him with some of the other grey seal pups we’re looking after here.
“We’d like to thank the BDMLR and their medics, who carried out the rescue and arranged the transportation. We’d also like to thank the aircraft pilot and staff who helped with the transfer of Pappardelle to Mallydams”.
Watch: The pup being cared for at RSPCA Mallydams Wood Wildlife Centre in Hastings.
It costs RSPCA Mallydams around £60 a day in fish alone to look after the seals in its care, so financial donations are welcomed by the charity.
Meanwhile, back in Jersey, a local marine wildlife charity previously warned that young seal pups are "going to struggle" due to the impact of Storm Ciarán.
The Jersey co-ordinator for British Divers Marine Life Rescue said that there is “no doubt” that seal pups which aren't old enough to survive independently “will wash up on our beaches".
Donna de Gruchy explained that storms of this intensity create hazardous conditions, separating seal pups from their mothers and washing them ashore.
“The chances of seal pups surviving after washing up are really slim, and they are likely to be found drowned," said Donna.
She explained that if islanders come across a struggling seal pup or distressed marine mammal they should “stay back, never attempt to put them back in the water, keep dogs on leads and well away".
Watch: He’s noisy, stroppy and grumpy, just as a grey seal pup should be!”
They should also contact the JSPCA on 724331 – or via their out-of-hours number on 07797 720331 – to alert the BDMLR team.
To donate to RSPCA Mallydams to help look after the seals in its care, click HERE.
JSPCA Animals' Shelter (Daytime): 01534 724331
JSPCA Animals' Shelter (Out of hours): 07797 720331
UK hotline with a Channel Islands database: 01825 765546
In Guernsey, contact the GSPCA, Guernsey SPCA: 01481 257261
In Alderney, the Alderney Animal Welfare Society has trained BDMLR medics: 01481 822616
If a deceased marine mammal is found, report it to the Environment Department at 01534 441600
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