MARINE LIFE volunteers had the unhappy task of putting down a badly injured seal pup found on the beach at Arbroath this week.

A member of the public walking on the shore near Elliot came across the seal pup and contacted police.

Marine medic Bob Pert, a member of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue service, was contacted and responded to the call immediately.

“The person who phoned had said that it appeared to be dying,” added Mr Pert.

“On finding the location of the animal, it was confirmed that the animal was, as reported, dying.

“It was lying on its left side and barely breathing.

“It was also totally unresponsive.

“It was arranged for the vet to attend the animal at its location and we decided to move the animal a short distance to the relative privacy of a grassy area. The attending vet euthanased the pup.”

“It was during her examination of the animal that it was noticed that there was an old wound to the right side of the mouth and the tongue was severely damaged.

“She was not sure how this injury had come about, possibilities being that the seal had bitten into something sharp, or had chewed an electric cable, in her opinion.

“With half the seal’s tongue missing it would not have been able to feed although whilst tending to it, its condition was noted as being extremely good.”

Mr Pert said the BDMLR wished to offer thanks to the member of the public, the Tayside police controller, medic Elaine Roft, Thom McNeil, SSPCA Middlebank, Alex Levine and Karen Kirk, BDMLR vet James Barnett, PDSA vet and BDMLR medic and vet Susan Somers, Gareth Norman of the Shanwell Wildlife Rescue Trust and Robson and Partners Vets at Laurencekirk, who had all been involved in trying to save the animal.