The Scottish SPCA is appealing to walkers not to approach or touch any seal pups they find on beaches at this time of year. The warning follows the rescue of a newborn grey seal pup found starving on a Fife beach after its mother had been frightened off.
The Scottish SPCA said people cause more harm than good by picking up or approaching seal pups, as it often causes their mothers to abandon them. Female grey seals will leave their pups on land while they feed out at sea as the baby seal cannot swim until it loses its white fur at between three and four weeks old.
The rescued pup, which has been named Charn, was picked up on Kinshaldy Beach, near Leuchars. It is being cared for at the Scottish SPCA Middlebank Wildlife Centre and will hopefully be released back into the wild once it has gained weight.