AssetID: 55487964
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Seals have had a record pupping season at vital Suffolk breeding colony
Caption: Seals have had a record pupping season at vital Suffolk breeding colony. National Trust rangers at Orford Ness are celebrating a record pupping season after 430 grey seal pups were born at the site this winter. The figure represents an 88% increase on last year and is the clearest sign yet that the colony is continuing to grow. Matt Wilson, countryside manager for the National Trust’s Suffolk and Essex Coast portfolio, said: “This year, our peak counts have included 803 adults and 430 pups, which is by far the highest numbers we’ve seen since the grey seals’ arrival in 2021.” The first 200 adult seals were recorded at Orford Ness in 2021, following a lengthy closure during the Covid pandemic when visitor numbers were greatly reduced. Since then, the colony has expanded year on year. Just 25 pups were born in 2021–22, rising to 66 the following year, 133 in 2023–24, 228 in 2024–25 and now 430 this season. Worldwide, the grey seal population is estimated at around 300,000, with waters around Britain and Ireland supporting roughly 40% of the global total.
Keywords: Natural World,seals,record,pupping season,Suffolk,breeding,colony,National Trust,rangers,Orford Ness,seal pups,winter,figure,increase,Matt Wilson,Suffolk and Essex Coast,grey seals,population,Britain,Ireland,waters,habitat,animals
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