First grey seal pups arrive early at reserve

Seal pups have appeared a month earlier than usual at a nature reserve.

The pupping season usually runs from October to mid-November at South Walney Nature Reserve in Cumbria, but this year the first animal was spotted on 31 August.

A second pup was born three weeks later on 17 September with the new arrivals welcomed by conservationists as "a lovely late summer surprise".

Beth Churn, marine conservation officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust, said the early arrivals could be down to climate change affecting prey availability and sea conditions, or the mothers may have come from another region where pups are born earlier.

"It's not the first time that we've seen seal pubs this early in the season, but generally we spot them from October through to November," Ms Churn said.

She added early grey seal pup births have also been recorded in Cornwall and the Isle of Man this year.

This is the 11th year in a row that pups have been recorded at Cumbria's only breeding grey seal colony.

Earlier this year, Cumbria Wildlife Trust announced a record 563 grey seals had been counted at South Walney Nature Reserve

There is no access to the beach where the seals haul out, but there is a seal cam online for the public to view the animals.

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