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Rare seal pup rescued from Newbiggin beach
REGIONAL veterinary practice Blythman and Partners received a surprise visitor on Sunday night when a rare grey seal pup found on Newbiggin beach was rushed in.
Matt Berkley, who was taking a stroll on the beach, found the three-week-old grey seal pup, which has been named Francis.
Noticing the ill pup he contacted the British Divers and Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), who despatched a team immediately.
After an on-site assessment they took the seal pup to Blythman and Partners' 24-hour hospital, the only veterinary practice in the area that could take Francis.
Sue White, administrator at BDMLR said: "We are so pleased Blythman and Partners were able to look after the pup.
"It was getting later in the day and we were desperate; they really helped us in our hour of need.
"We were extremely lucky they had a veterinary surgeon on the premises who had previously undertaken one of our courses and so was fully trained to care for the pup."
In Gosforth the staff at the practice re-hydrated the seal pup by putting him on a drip.
Francis was also suffering from a severe bite to the side of his tail which developed into a dangerous abscess, and it is presumed this is the reason his mother abandoned him.
Without intervention Francis would have died.
Carolyn Algie, vet at Blythman and Partners said: "Grey seals are rare for the north east coast so for Mr Berkley to come across one is very peculiar.
"Rough weather has meant we have seen an increase of seals being washed up on shores.
"The best thing to do if you see an apparently sick or abandoned young seal is to contact the BDMLR and then monitor them from a distance for a few hours and watch for the return of the mother.
"Whilst Mr Berkley did the right thing in contacting the BDMLR due to Francis's deteriorated state, we would urge others to stay away from seals as they can be extremely vicious and carry a number of diseases.
"Luckily we got to Francis in time and we are confident he will make a full recovery.
"He will now be taken to the SPCA Middlebank Wildlife Centre in Scotland, where he will be rehabilitated and hopefully, in a few months, released back into the wild."
Blythman and Partners is one of the leading veterinary practices in the north east, running eight surgeries throughout the region.
For information call (0191) 284 1711 or visit www.blythmanandpartners.co.uk
For more information on the BDMLR visit www.bdmlr.org.uk
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Weather for Blyth
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 2 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
