Glencolmcille welcomed a new arrival this week after a seal pup appeared on the local beach.
The furry flippered pup was spotted on Glen Beach on Tuesday, but beachgoers were urged not to go near it or let dogs approach it.
The seal has since gone, but it is not yet known if it went back out to sea or was rescued.
The event has been an opportunity for locals to learn about seal safety during pupping season.
The advice from Seal Rescue Ireland is:
– Remember to never approach, touch or disturb a seal on the beach. Please observe quietly from at least 100m, and keep children away and dogs on a lead at all times.
– Never put a seal in the water. Newborn pups are on shore for a reason! Grey seal pups have a fluffy, white baby coat for the first 2-3 weeks of life and tend to stay on land until they build up blubber and moult into their waterproof, adult coat.
– During this time they rely exclusively on their mother’s milk, but seal mothers will leave them for hours at a time alone on the beach. This doesn’t always mean they’ve been abandoned! If you ever think a seal pup needs help, please call SRI’s 24/7 Rescue Hotline at 087 1955 393 right away for advice, or submit an online report form at https://www.sealrescueireland.org/rescue/.
