Seal Sanctuary Welfare and Rehabilitation

British Divers Marine Life Rescue and the RSPCA rehabilitate hundreds of grey and common seal pups annually, with welfare considerations around capture stress, pool design, and release protocols.

Key Facts

Around 300-400 seal pups are rehabilitated in the UK each year by specialist centres
Grey seal pups are born in autumn and can become separated from mothers in storms
Common seal pups born in summer are most vulnerable to boat disturbance and separation
Rehabilitation pools must be designed to prevent habituation to humans
Release back to wild populations is the goal of all ethical rehabilitation programmes
The BDMLR operates a national seal medic volunteer network for initial rescue

Welfare Considerations

Seal rehabilitation involves welfare trade-offs at each stage. Initial rescue of injured or separated pups causes acute stress from human handling, but without intervention prognosis is fatal. Rehabilitation pools must balance the medical need for monitoring with the welfare imperative to minimise human contact to preserve wild behaviour. Overcrowding in busy centres creates disease transmission risks. Premature release risks the welfare of individuals not yet capable of independent survival. Post-release tracking shows that well-managed rehabilitation with minimal human imprinting produces individuals that integrate successfully into wild populations.

What You Can Do

Contact BDMLR's 24-hour hotline (01825 765546) if you find a seal in distress
Do not approach or handle seals on beaches without trained guidance
Support the Cornish Seal Sanctuary and other rehabilitation centres through donations
Keep dogs on leads near seal haul-out sites to avoid maternal separation
Donate to BDMLR to support their national marine mammal medic network
Report seal harassment or disturbance to the police wildlife crime line