Rare black seal pups spotted at Blakeney Point Nature Reserve, Norfolk
In some lovely news, rare black seal pups have been spotted among England's largest grey seal colony by National Trust wardens at Blakeney National Nature Reserve, Norfolk.
The beautiful creatures, known as melanistic seals, have a striking velvety black coat. While grey seals are normally born white and shed their fur to expose a grey coat, around one in 400 are born with this stunning black fur instead.
For the first time this year, the team over at Blakeney managed to capture a number of them on camera thanks to volunteer Seal Warden and wildlife photographer, Hanne Siebers. Sure to brighten your spirits, the images show the seals frolicking around on the shore, exploring the area in peace.
Last year, the rangers in Norfolk announced they were preparing for the arrival of thousands of newborn seals, thanks to low levels of disturbance and no natural predators. The Trust explained that seal numbers were increasing so rapidly that rangers had to count them using aerial cameras instead.
The National Trust is also urging people to keep their distance from any wild pups to avoid unnecessary stress. "If you ever come across a seal pup, please keep your distance and do not approach or disturb these wild animals in any way."
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