World Animal Day: Why everyone needs to know about plight of Scotland's harbour seals

I spent my first month ‘on tour’, visiting centres, shadowing inspectors and animal rescue officers, and meeting teams across the country. I thought I knew what to expect. I’d done my homework. I knew the society did far more than rescue animals. But nothing could have prepared me for the sheer breadth of extraordinary work happening every single day.

The Scottish SPCA is powered by purpose. Every person I met is utterly committed to our mission: to make Scotland the best place in the world for an animal to call home. I could tell a hundred stories already.

But today, I want to tell just one. One that shows why the work of the Scottish SPCA is more vital than ever: the story of this year’s harbour seals.

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Seal pups in trouble

Each year, our National Wildlife Centre rehabilitates and releases thousands of wild animals. Like all things in nature, wildlife rescue moves in seasons. For harbour seals, that season usually starts in June. Pups are born on land, within hours they can swim. Typically, we see around 25 seal pups admitted steadily from June through to release in November.

This year was different. Calls started coming in May. And they kept coming. We had 25 pups in at the same time – an unprecedented cluster. Triggered by earlier, warmer weather. This pushed our teams to respond faster, on a bigger scale than ever before.

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Seal specialists, rescue officers and vets worked like a well-oiled machine: preparing pens, gathering specialist food, and putting care plans in place. The team fell into a relentless rhythm. Then disaster struck.

Pups started to deteriorate. We lost one, then another. Lab results confirmed the worst: they had come in with a deadly virus – one of the top three killers of harbour seals. A species with weaker immune systems in general, they’re particularly vulnerable. Outcomes can be grim.

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Mugwump and Niffler

But our team refused to give up. Sick pups were isolated, treated, their vitals constantly monitored. One pup in particular stole our hearts. Mugwump arrived with a ruptured eye, then tested positive for the virus. He was dangerously underweight, the odds stacked against him.

But he fought. And so did we. With tube feeding and plenty of TLC, Mugwamp slowly gained weight. He’s now thriving, eating on his own, and happily awaiting release.

Then there’s Niffler. Born so premature his umbilical cord was still attached, Niffler cried softly under his heat lamp, cuddling a soft toy used to replicate his mother’s presence. He grew stronger each day and will soon be released to rejoin the seal colonies.

Thirty-five harbour seal pups have come through our doors this season – and we’re not done yet. Despite every loss being deeply felt, the response has been extraordinary. In fact, this is on track to be the highest number of harbour seals we will release in a single season, by over double.

The people problem

So why are so many needing our help? In short: us. Well-meaning people approach pups they think are abandoned, when the mother is nearby and won’t return with humans present.

Disturbing a pregnant seal can also trigger early birth and abandonment. Without her, pups won’t survive. Other times, it’s dog attacks. Around 25 per cent of those we admit – both harbour and grey – have injuries from dogs.

Human disturbance, climate change and dwindling fish stocks are taking a toll. Between 2018 and 2023, the west coast harbour seal population fell by 20 per cent. Our work is vital to their survival. Without it, we risk losing these animals from our coasts entirely.

And seals are just one part of the picture. When I took this job, I knew the society’s work was invaluable – but the scale is vast and growing. Across Scotland, we receive more than 269,500 calls each year.

In 2024, we rescued 37,214 animals. In the first half of this year, we’ve seen a near 20 per cent increase in people contacting us about giving up their pets.

A step change in how we value animals

That’s why prevention is critical. Between January and June, our Pet Aid programme has provided over 44,000 meals, as well as vet referrals and behaviour support to help owners through tough times.

This comes at a cost. We are Scotland’s only national animal welfare charity and the only charity in the UK able to report animal abuse cases directly to the Crown Office. Yet we receive no government funding.

We need more support. More understanding. More people willing to stand with us. Our resources are not endless. Our people go above and beyond, but we cannot deliver this scale of support alone.

We need a step change in how we value animals – not just as pets or property, but as part of Scotland’s identity, environment, and future.

On this World Animal Day, I want to leave you with one final thought. Harbour seals are just one of many species in decline, but they symbolise something greater – how our actions, large and small, shape the survival of the animals we share this country with.

The time to stand up for Scotland’s animals is now. At the end of this month, we’ll launch our manifesto – urging politicians to make animal welfare a priority and embed policies that deliver real change.

But it will take all of us. We need everyone to stand with us, ensuring that animals always have a safe place here in Scotland.

Mark Bishop is chief executive of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Find out more at www.scottishspca.org