THIS cute seal pup was a rare find, washed up on a Dorset beach.

The grey seal was about six weeks old and in a poor state with a broken fin and bite marks around its neck, said marine conservationist and photographer Steve Trewhella, who helped rescue the animal.

He said he did not know of another pup found on a Dorset beach as there were no breeding colonies nearby and no sign of its mother, with whom it should have been.

“He was poorly, he didn’t run off or anything,” said Steve. “He had some puncture wounds so he was possibly attacked by a dog.”

With the help of staff and the dolphin rescue stretcher from the Weymouth Sea Life Centre, the pup was taken off Chesil Beach and driven by Steve to the RSPCA’s West Hatch animal rescue centre in Taunton, Somerset.

“He apparently escaped from his pen and was running around the kitchen,” said Steve, who rang for a condition check next day.

“You do get odd seals at Kimmeridge or Poole Harbour, but there are no breeding colonies and it’s unusual to see such a young pup,” he said.

He said it probably came from Devon or Cornwall, and urged anyone who saw a seal on a beach in future not to touch it but report it to the relevant bodies.

“There is a reason why they are on the beach. They are resting or they are injured or poorly. You need experienced people to come and look at them. And they can pass diseases on to us,” he said.

Any stranded marine mammals, dead or alive, should be reported. People should not try to refloat or rescue them themselves.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) has trained volunteers throughout the country and can be contacted 24 hours a day on 01825 765546.