Cumbria Wildlife Trust is advising people not to disturb young seals that may appear on local beaches at this time of year.
Young seals, up to a few months old, are appearing on local beaches from their birthing grounds on South Walney Nature Reserve, elsewhere in the Irish Sea or further afield.
Over the next few months, beach-goers may come across young seals on the beach while they rest before returning to the sea to hunt.
This is of concern to wildlife experts from Cumbria Wildlife Trust, who fear for the welfare of both the young seals and the people who approach them.
Marine Conservation Officer Dr Emily Baxter says: "It can cause a problem as people often do not realise that seals need to come up onto the beaches to rest. There is a misconception that they are sick when they are more than likely perfectly fine and just resting or sleeping."
“Over recent weeks officers from the Trust have had several reports of people finding young pups on the beaches at Earnse Bay and around Roa and Foulney Islands.
"One concerned member of the public reported that they had chased a young seal back in the sea to encourage it to come back to South Walney Nature Reserve.
"Another picked a seal pup up off the beach and drove it to the nature reserve in the boot of their car.”
"All of these behaviours disturb the seals and endanger people.
"Seals are wild animals and they are likely to bite when threatened.
"Not only can the bite from a seal be extremely nasty but they also harbour a range pathogens which can transfer to and be harmful to humans.
"Anyone who has been bitten by a seal should seek immediate medical attention.
Dr Baxter explains: “If you see a seal on the beach, watch from a distance and do not approach it.
"It is more than likely that it is just resting and digesting food.
"Grey seals spend about as much time out of the water as they do in it, it is part of their normal behaviour.
"Chasing seals back into the sea is stopping them from what they need to do.
“However, if you see a seal that you think may be sick (visibly underweight, coughing, sneezing, mucus coming out of their nose or eyes) or injured, please call the British Divers Marine Life Rescue for advice: 01825 765546 (office hours) or 07787 433412 (out of hours).
South Walney Nature Reserve on Walney Island, just to the west of Barrow-in-Furness, hosts the principal haul out site for grey seals in Cumbria.
Often over 100 of these gregarious animals ‘haul out’ to rest and sleep on the isolated shingle spit on the nature reserve, especially during the winter when they moult their fur.
Previously the seals on the island were thought to be a non-breeding colony but this year there was the surprise of not one but two pups that were born on the island.