Cornwall seal pup freed from rope and fishing nets

A three-month-old seal pup found with rope and gill netting around its neck and flippers has been freed and released back into the sea.

It took the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) medics one hour to rescue the pup and cut the plastic from around its body on New Year's Day.

The four-and-a-half stone (30kg) seal was spotted at Boat Cove, near Pendeen in Cornwall.

Rescuers said they freed the pub just in time before the nets had damaged it.

Members of the public found the pup "entangled in quite a bit of rope, fishing gear and a small plastic buoy" and contacted the marine charity.

Delia Webb, a BDMLR medic and biological scientist, said they did the "right thing" by keeping a distance and encouraging other beach users to stay away.

BDMLR assessed the seal's injuries before deciding it was fit and strong enough to be released back into the sea.

Netting and rope can cut through seal skin, "but luckily we got to this particular pup in time and managed to get the gear off before it had done any damage", Ms Webb said.

She said the charity "had been incredibly busy over the new year" with seal rescues and treating five pups in its facility in Cornwall.

She asked for anyone concerned about a marine creature to contact the BDMLR 24-hour hotline.

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