Poorly seal pup proves feisty little fighter after Arbroath rescue

A feisty two-week-old seal pup is recovering well after surviving rough seas and jagged rocks along the Arbroath shoreline.

The snow white pup, named Charlie by its rescuer, was found battered and bruised, stricken amid the rock armour revetments near the town’s signal tower museum a week ago.

Artist John Burness was out for a morning walk when he discovered the injured seal.

He said: “I saw something lying between the rocks and I thought it was a dead animal until it moved. I’d never seen a seal pup before and I was surprised to see it there alone.

“I thought maybe its mother had left it to find food but, with the tide so far out, that was unlikely. It was obviously distressed.”

John, 47, looked up the number for the Scottish SPCA and when their officer arrived she put it in a box and took it off to the rescue centre at Alloa.

John spoke with the centre and they confirmed the young pup was a couple of weeks old.

He plans to visit Charlie as the seal pup makes its recovery and before it is released back in to the sea.

Animal rescue officer Amy Mackay said: “Despite being tiny, injured and scared the seal was still quite feisty to catch.”