Wildlife Welfare

Wild Grey Seal Pup Welfare UK Coastline

Grey seals haul out on UK coasts to breed in autumn and winter, with pup welfare dependent on maternal behaviour and freedom from disturbance.

Key Facts

UK hosts the largest grey seal population in Europe at approximately 120,000
Pups are born white-coated and dependent on their mothers for 3 weeks
Disturbance causes mother-pup separation and pup abandonment
Pup starvation from abandonment is the primary cause of pup welfare problems
Photography and wildlife watching from appropriate distances does not disturb seals

Welfare Considerations

Grey seal pups depend entirely on their mothers for the first three weeks of life. Human disturbance that separates mothers from pups leaves pups to slowly starve. Even apparently minor disturbance can cause mothers to flee into the sea. Maintaining appropriate distances at seal haul-out sites is one of the most direct individual animal welfare actions that coastal visitors can take.

What You Can Do

Stay at least 100 metres from grey seal haul-out sites during pupping
Report disturbed or abandoned pups to BDMLR rather than approaching them
Support seal welfare organisations providing pup rehabilitation