Grey seal pups are born in autumn on Cornish beaches and are frequently approached by tourists unaware that their presence causes abandonment and pup mortality.
Grey seal pups abandoned by disturbed mothers face starvation and exposure. Pups that appear abandoned are frequently not: cows rest in the sea between nursing visits. Well-intentioned members of the public who approach or touch pups often cause the very abandonment they fear has occurred. Dogs running loose on seal beaches cause multiple simultaneous disturbance events during breeding season.