Seal pup arrives at Scarborough Sea Life Centre by taxi

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-30523525

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Staff at the Sea Life Centre in Scarborough were "stunned" when a seal pup arrived at the tourist attraction - in the back of a taxi.

The plucky pinniped rolled up at the popular seaside centre along with a woman who had picked up the pup after finding it alone on the beach.

But staff at the attraction returned the forlorn pup to the beach in the hope it would be reunited with mum.

They said it was not uncommon for pups to be left alone by their mothers.

'Very sharp teeth'

The tourist attraction, which doubles as an animal rescue centre, said rather than "rescue" seal pups people should contact the centre or the RSPCA.

Lyndsey Crawford, from the centre, said: "I was a bit stunned to be summoned to the car park to retrieve this pup from the back of a cab.

"Pups will quite often haul out on the shore while their mums are searching for food, but they are rarely left on their own for more than an hour or so."

She added: "Apart from the danger of inadvertently scaring off mum if they get too close, these are wild animals with very sharp teeth. It's a miracle this lady wasn't badly bitten."

The woman who picked up the pup, which was in good health, did not leave her name, the centre said.