The GSPCA has warned that a seal pup it rescued this weekend is going to face a challenging rehabilitation because of the building work due to start at the animal shelter.
The charity is having its headquarters rebuilt – including the pool area which has been vital in the rehabilitation of tens of other rescued seal pups in recent years.
Over the past 12 years, 43 seal pups have been rescued and rehabilitated by the GSPCA but its seal pool facility is due to be demolished as part of the wider building work.
The RSPCA has said that it can’t help, so the local charity is looking for support here.
The situation became more intense this weekend though, with the first seal pup rescue of 2025.
Swish was found at Petit Port on Saturday.
She weighs just 17kg – “which is extremely thin” said the GSPCA. The pup is also suffering with pneumonia.
She’s currently being cared in the charity’s intensive care unit under the watchful expert eye of Geoff George, the GSPCA’s Head of Marine Mammals.
“She is only 17kgs so about a third of the weight she should be for her age and suffering with pneumonia,” he said. “She was found at Petit Port and is needing around the clock care at the GSPCA.
“She has been called Swish and is the only pup in our care as only a couple of weeks ago we released the last two pups.”
Roar and California Girl were even smaller when they were rescued the end of last year. The pair were recently released back to the wild having “roughly quadrupled their weight” from when they were rescued, said Mr George.
“We are hopeful that Swish will improve each day and will of course keep everyone updated.”
Swish’s recovery will be challenged by the building work going on around her while she recuperates in the intensive care unit at the GSPCA’s St Andrew’s headquarters.
“Swish is the first grey seal pup to be recued in Guernsey in 2025 which has come at a challenging time as we are about to start our #BIGBUILD in the coming months and been preparing for what is a much needed new facility,” said Steve Byrne, GSPCA Manager.
“Saying this we have to continue our 24/7 work and poorly pups like Swish will continue to need our help and care.
“Swish was so painfully thin and so unwell but she has made it through the weekend thanks to Geoff and our incredible team at the GSPCA, but she has a long road to recovery.”
Mr Byrne said that the seal rehabilitation pool and other facilities are due to be knocked down and he had asked the RSPCA in the UK if they could help.
Unfortunately, the national charity is unable to, he said.
“Although they did help us pre 2012 they have informed us that for a number of reasons from large numbers of seal pups in their care already to other concerns they won’t be in a position to help us for the foreseeable future so we are now looking at other options to help the seal pups needing our care while the build takes place.
“As we have our preferred builders we are now in negotiations with we are hopeful for a quick turn around for Swish ahead of the new build but we are reaching out to anyone who thinks they can help with certainly this and next year’s seal pup rehab.
“Some of the current wildlife building have started to come down and although we have areas for triaging the seal pups it is the pool stage we will not have and this is when we get the weight and fitness into each pup to ready for the wild.
“We are looking at options but anyone that think they could help we would love to hear from them.
“We are coming to the end of the years seal pup season, but we do have lots of details online on what to do if you do see a seal in trouble, but the easiest is just call 257261.”