Seal pup winning fight for life at Hunstanton Sea Life after being abandoned

A premature seal pup who has been fighting for his life since being abandoned in the wild is now thriving at Sea Life Hunstanton.

Seal pup Rumba was underweight and malnourished when he was found amongst the rocks on Brancaster beach.

But, despite the odds, he is now thriving under the care of Sea Life Hunstanton and is set to be released this summer.

When Rumba was found, it was apparent he was born just a few hours earlier as his umbilical cord was still attached, and his white fur coat intact.

With common seal pups’ white coats usually shed in the mothers’ womb, it was clear Rumba had not only been abandoned but also born six weeks premature.

The Sea Life experts say Rumba’s premature birth was likely due to his mother becoming ill or stressed, causing him to be born early and leaving him with slim chance of survival.

Aquarist at Hunstanton Sea Life, Nicky Nelson, said: “Being born so prematurely Rumba’s chances of survival were very slim when he was rescued.

“It’s incredibly sad to think that he might not have made it if he had gone undiscovered.

“He was both underweight and malnourished which was very concerning for us.

“However, the team have been watching over him very closely, feeding him a special blend of fish soup which contains all the nutrients.

“He needs to build his health back up.

“We have even been coming to the centre to feed him every three hours through the night.”

Rumba is now recovering at Sea Life Hunstanton where he enjoys playful bath times with the centre experts and he is closely monitored by Ms Nelson.

He has now been at the centre for four weeks and staff hope to released him back into the wild in August.

If you see any animals in trouble, please call Sea Life Hunstanton on 01485 533576.