A rare grey seal pup with all black fur has been discovered on a beach in Cornwall.
The female pup, believed to be around 10 weeks old, is melanistic, meaning she is completely black, as seen in one in 400 grey seals.
She was spotted taken to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, which rescues and rehabilitates grey seal pups from around the Cornish coastline, after being found by walkers.
Liquorice was suffering with breathing difficulties and was very underweight when she arrived at the rescue centre, in the village of Gweek near Helston.
Sanctuary staff hope she will make a full recovery and return to the wild.
Sanctuary curator, Tamara Cooper, said: “It’s not often we see melanistic pups, especially female ones, and even rarer to see them coming through our own doors.
“Liquorice really needed some help after she was spotted quite high up on the beach, and it was quickly agreed she should come in.
“She is a beautiful pup, and we’re pleased that she is now in the place where she can get the best care for what we hope will be a successful return to the wild.”
Melanism is a genetic mutation which occurs when too much of the dark-coloured pigment melanin is produced.
The condition is rarer in female seals, which are typically lighter in colour compared to males.
Liquorice is one of 40 pups to arrive at the Sanctuary this winter, said general manager, Jana Sirova.
“It is a very busy pup season for our animal care team and there are plenty here on site.”
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Visitors can see Liquorice in the nursery pools as part of a number of events the centre is hosting during February half-term next week.
In nearby Plymouth, an over-friendly seal named Spearmint was rushed to rehab after becoming too reliant on food given to her by beachgoers – including sandwiches and doughnuts.
The seal pup population spotted along a five-mile stretch of the Norfolk coast has almost doubled in three years, with almost 4,000 baby seals this winter alone.
