RSPCA rescues injured seal found on Sussex beach
Hubble got into a spot of trouble - but is now on the mend
An immobile sick seal with wounds on his nose is being cared for by the RSPCA after being rescued from a beach in Sussex.
The animal was first spotted by the beach patrol in Camber Sands on April 10th, who then called the Southwater-based animal rescue charity for advice.
They sent a rescuer to assess his condition after they reported he had not moved at all in 24 hours.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Brian Milligan said he was alerted to the scene by on off-duty colleague, Inspector Dave Grant, who had been walking in the area at the time.
"I knew there was something not quite right. When we approached him, he hardly reacted; that’s unusual for a seal.
"It was great to have Dave there to help with the rescue. We used a specially-designed stretcher and because the poor seal was so ill, it was relatively straight-forward to contain him and move him into my van.
“I took him straight to our Mallydams Wildlife Centre in Hastings for assessment and treatment. It is likely the young one year-old male is suffering from lung-worm, so he has been treated with antibiotics and pain relief.
"He has been named ‘Hubble’, and we are very much hoping that he recovers from his illness and puts on enough weight to be released back into the wild.
“Our thanks go to Camber Sands’ Beach Patroller Skye Brockhurst for calling the incident in and monitoring Hubble.”
Not all seals seen along the coastline are in need of rescue and the public are urged to keep themselves and their dogs well away for their own safety as well as the seal’s.
The RSPCA advises that if there are concerns for a seal but no obvious signs of injury, it should be observed from a distance for 24 hours.
If it hasn’t moved on after a day, or if there are obvious signs of injury, then please call the RSPCA’s emergency line on 0300 1234 999 to report the incident.