Skokholm Island puffins play with warden as reserve closed to visitors

Credit: @SkokholmIsland

Some adorable creatures who are not letting lockdown stop them from getting up close and personal are the puffins on Skokholm Island.

Whilst the island near Pembrokeshire is shut to visitors, you might expect the puffins to have become more shy and less use to human interaction - but one of the island's wardens has proved how wrong that assumption is.

In a video, the puffins can be seen gathering around warden Giselle Eagle, with one even jumping on top of her legs.

The friendly crowd of seabirds seem at ease around their human companion, inquisitively pecking at Giselle's legs.

Skokholm Island nature reserve is two miles south west of the Pembrokeshire coast and is home to marine birds like puffins, razorbills, guillemots and gulls.

There are never more than 26 people on the island at one time but the reserve is currently shut to visitors due to coronavirus lockdown measures.

As a result, The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (the charity who manage the island) are concerned about their future as no visitors means a loss of almost 50 per cent of their income.

Many charities are concerned about their funding during the pandemic as they have had to close charity shops and cancel fundraising events.

In early May, Welsh Government announced that thousands of charities in Wales will receive a £10,000 business support grant. The grants are part of a £26 million package that is available for charity-run shops, sports premises and community centres that have previously not been eligible to such support.