Tony Woodley, BDMLR National Spokesman, said: 'Our volunteers throughout the country have been working flat out and attending calls at all hours of the day and night.'
In one seven-day period around mid-November, more than 24 call-outs had been answered in Thurso, Yorkshire, Kent, Cornwall, Caithness, Northumberland and North Berwick. For instance as many as 12 grey seal pups needed rescuing on eastern English and Scottish shores, following high winds in the North Sea.
'This response from our network is possible only due to the donations our charity receives to enable us to carry out this work,' said Woodley. In many cases, weakened individuals are nursed at rehabilitation centres before being released back into the wild.
BDMLR trains more than 400 new Marine Mammal Medic volunteers each year. Although some represent replacements for long-serving volunteers deciding to stand down, the net result in recent years has been a year-on-year growth in the number of qualified volunteers.
There are now about 3000 people around Britain who, prepared by BDMLR, are able efficiently to assist marine creatures in distress.
Related links
BDMLR website
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