Fisherman accidentally catches baby seal

A fisherman accidentally caught a fish gray seal pup in its network – 20 miles upriver from the coast.

The fisherman was on a rowing boat on the River Bure near Horning on the Norfolk Broads. seal I went after a fish the day after Christmas.

Both the seal and the fish fell into the net before the fisherman called the rescue charity for help.

The significantly underweight seal was rescued by wildlife charity Friends of Horsey Seals and He was taken to the RSPCA.

The pup, now named Sunshine, is thought to have possibly arrived from Sea Palling near Horsey Gap, which is home to one of the largest colonies of gray seals in the UK.

Baby ‘recovering’

About 3,000 pups are born each season, but Friends of Horsey Seals said it was “one of the strangest seal rescue stories of the year”.

A spokesman said: “Horning is 18km, or over five hours’ walk, from Sea Palling. It is possible the seal did not come from land.”

“Instead he probably swam from Great Yarmouth down the River Bure to Horning. The distance from Great Yarmouth to Horning by river is 20 miles.

“The surprised fisherman was fishing in a rowing boat, caught a fish, when he went to land the fish the seal appeared and he went for the same fish. The fisherman found both the fish and the seal in the castle net and at this point called our rescue number.”

The seal pup weighed 12kg (most pups his age would weigh between 30 and 45kg), but is said to have recovered.