Meet Mini Milk, Calippo, Nobby Bobbly, and Cornetto - the rescued seal pups

  • Meet Mini Milk and Calippo, two of the four new seal pups being cared for at RSPCA West Hatch

A wildlife rehabilitation centre in Somerset has welcomed four new seal pups recently orphaned by stormy weather.

Mini Milk, Calippo, Nobby Bobbly, and Cornetto arrived at RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Taunton in need of urgent care.

Staff tend to name seals based on different themes each season and this year they chose to name the grey seal pups after ice cream.

Kayla Terry, the centre manager, said the condition of the seals has improved considerably but need more time to recover before being released back into the wild.

Cornetto was found extremely dehydrated, flat and very underweight. Credit: Emma Jacobs, RSPCA

Calippo was picked up by RSPCA rescuers from the beach in Milford Haven with a swollen, infected flipper.

He weighed just 10kg - which is 3kg lighter than the average weight of a grey seal pup.

Mini Milk was rescued from Wales and was found to be underweight and dehydrated. The moulted pup was in the same location at the high tide line at Abercastle Beach for two days.

Nobbly Bobbly was found in Dartmouth after being separated from his mum in recent storms.

He arrived at the centre unweaned so is being tube-fed, with encouragement to start eating by himself.

Cornetto is the only female pup in the group and was found extremely dehydrated, flat, and underweight in Ceredigion in Wales.

Nobby Bobbly was found in Dartmouth with an injured back flipper. Credit: Emma Jacobs, RSPCA

Seal pup season typically runs from September to March during which seals are expected to be admitted to wildlife centres after adverse weather conditions.

Each seal pup rehabilitated at RSPCA West Hatch can remain in care at the centre for a number of months.

During this time the centre spends on average £1,400 a week on fish and veterinary care.

The animal welfare charity advises that if members of the public spot a seal on a beach, they should observe them from a distance and not approach them.

It is also advised they keep dogs on leads on beaches that have seal colonies.

Kayla added: "It’s important the public never approach seals and keep any dogs well away and on a lead, as these are wild animals and can have a nasty bite."