Image: Donna Nook NNR - Grey Seal pupping and breeding season - 38804871202

Description: With more than 1900 pups born so far this year and nearly 6000 seals on the beach, Donna Nook in North Lincolnshire is perhaps the greatest free wildlife show in Britain. It is certainly the closest you will ever get to live, wild seals as they come right up to the fence. The females give birth on the beach and suckle the pups for 18 days, during which their body mass trebles thanks to the 52% fat, 18% protein mix of the milk. None of the adults feed at sea during this period, the males remaining on the beach to guard and mate with their harem of females. Pups are weaned at 18 days and the females are ready to mate again almost immediately. Pups are born with creamy-white fur which is stained yellow by the amniotic fluid but quickly turns white. After two weeks they start to shed this fur and you can see it on the grass in some shots. The thick four-layer waterproof fur develops quickly underneath so that within four weeks the pups are ready to return to the sea to begin fishing for themselves. The after-birth is discarded, but highly nutritious and feeds Black-backed and Herring Gulls , starlings and other scavenger birds.

All in all, it's a spectacular event and a top day out!
Author: kitmasterbloke
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License: CC-BY-SA-3.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
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