An injured seal pub which washed up on Weymouth Beach is on the road to recovery.

It was found on the beach near Brunswick Terrace at Greenhill last Wednesday and is currently being treated at RSPCA’s West Hatch centre in Somerset.

The seal pub has been named Dugong after the large sea mammal and is thought to be just weeks old.

It was discovered underweight and with injuries to his flipper.

Dugong was initially taken to Weymouth Sea Life Centre before being transferred to the RSPCA’s specialist facility.

Arnimel Scott, wildlife supervisor at RSPCA West Hatch, said: “As a post-moult pup he would have been weaned, and would already be independent from his mum. Whatever his short past, he is significantly underweight. He has wounds on his hind flipper and while it’s impossible to say how he got them, these wounds could have been caused by bites from dogs, other seals, or by rocks on the beach as seals can get thrown around at high tide, and when there are high waves they can get badly bashed about.”

She added: “It’s early days yet and he is in our intensive care unit where we expect him to stay for some time. His wounds are deep and he has an exposed bone in one of his flippers so our wildlife vet put him onto antibiotics and pain relief medication straight away.

“Dugong has been tube fed fish soup because he is very thin and quite weak to help to re-hydrate and stabilize him as the medication helps him to fight infection in his wounds.”

Dugong is one of 19 seals being cared for by the team at RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre.

The RSPCA advises that if people spot a seal on a beach that they observe them from a distance and do not approach them. Seals are wild animals and have a nasty bite. It is also advised they keep dogs on leads on beaches that have seal colonies too.

If you see a pup whose mother hasn’t returned within 24 hours, is on a busy public beach, or if you think the seal may be sick or injured, call the RSPCA’s 24-hour advice and cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.

The young seal pups, which have been rescued from across the south west Wales, are brought to the RSPCA centre near Taunton and are taken to intensive care pens where they are given fish soup before moving onto whole fish.

The seals are then moved into a pool when they gain weight and begin self-feeding as they get ready for release.

Each seal pup rehabilitated at West Hatch can remain in care at the centre for a number of months with the centre spending on average £1,000 a week on fish and veterinary care.

Last winter, the centre rescued, rehabilitated and released 112 seals, an exceptionally high number – in part due to the frequent and exceptional storms.