Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Hundreds of seal pups have gone missing or are separated from their mothers after a tidal surge hit the coast of Norfolk County in the east of England.
The low-lying county was hit by the worst tidal surge the country has seen in 60 years, causing flooding and damage to coastal towns. The surge Thursday has resulted in the loss of 263 seal pups according to the National Trust.
The charity and volunteer group Friends of Horsey Seals have asked people not to visit the area and allow the seals to recover naturally. The National Trust has been unable to reach nature reserve Blakeney Point where they monitor common and gray seals.
Experts recommend leaving the seals alone, increasing the chances that pups will find their mothers. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has expressed concern about seal populations along the east coast of Norfolk and said they found five pups washed up on the beach.
[BBC] [Friends of Horsey Seals] [RSPCA]
