Baby seal dies of shock on UK beach after woman wraps it in coat
A BABY seal has died of shock after a woman was seen picking the animal up, despite being told not to.
The woman alerted a local wildlife protection charity before she wrapped the pup in a coat and put it into the back of a car.
But she was told by an official from Marine and Wildlife Rescue to leave the seal alone.
The woman spotted the baby seal on a beach by itself on Friday night.
When a volunteer from Friends of Horsey Seals collected the pup, it was confirmed that the woman had ignored expert advice.
The Marine and Wildlife Rescue said in a post on Facebook: “The pup was picked up and wrapped in a coat even though we instructed the caller to leave the seal pup alone to be checked in the morning.
“This pup was subjected to unnecessary suffering as a result.”
Another local marine protection group, Friends of Horsey Seals, urged people not to pick up seals from the beach as well as to ‘keep their distance’.
“Harbour seals are very sensitive and can easily go into a state of shock,” they said.
Several users on Facebook expressed their outrage at ‘human stupidity’ and sorrow for the ‘unnecessary death’.
Norfolk is home to thousands of newborn seals each year as local volunteers look after beaches to ensure their safety.
It comes after a baby dolphin died in Cornwall as tourists watched on.
The dolphin lost his pod before getting stuck between sandbanks.
Rescuers failed to help the bottlenose dolphin who died in St Ives earlier this month.