Grey seal pup born on Beaulieu River ‘a first’ for Hampshire
A seal pup recently born on a New Forest river is believed to be the first of its kind in the county’s waters.
The Buckler’s Hard yacht harbour team and conservationists have been monitoring the pup’s progress on Beaulieu River, keeping it safe from disturbance by other river users.
The harbour team has been working closely with bodies like Natural England, the Seal Alliance, British Divers Marine Life Rescue and Wild New Forest Guided Tours to help protect the pup.
Harbour master Wendy Stowe said: “This is very exciting news as grey seals don’t usually breed in these waters and we believe it is the first pup to survive here.
“We would like to thank all of our river users for acting responsibly and helping us to keep the seal pup safe and undisturbed during its all-important first month.
“We are looking forward to watching it grow and join the grey seal colony on the Beaulieu River.”
She added: “We feel fortunate to share such a wonderful area of the New Forest and have a duty of care to protect that environment and its inhabitants.
“We ask river users to continue to help us give this new pup the best chance for its future.”
The new pup has now survived its first month. Seal pups typically grow quickly on a diet high in fat and protein from their mothers’ milk.
They usually triple their body weight from 10kg to around 40kg in their first three weeks of life, as their white fur is replaced by a shorter, patterned coat.
Grey seals are a native wildlife species which has naturally colonised on the Beaulieu River but have only recently started to breed locally.
The Beaulieu River, a Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest under the Montagu family’s custodianship for more than four centuries, provides a feeding ground for more than 200 species of birdlife.
Over a third of the world’s grey seals live in UK waters, with as many as 88% of those in Scotland. For tips on how to watch seals, visit sealalliance.org/blog/give-seals-space
