A seal found on a Norfolk beach with a plastic Frisbee-like toy wrapped around its neck has been rescued and named after Sir David Attenborough.

The name was inspired by the broadcaster and naturalist's campaigning against single-use plastics - an issue given prominence by Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign.

Sir David, as the seal is now known, had been spotted several times off the coast of Norfolk, but rescuers were unable to reach him until he grew weak.

He was eventually spotted on a beach in Horsey, and transported to a local RSPCA centre for treatment.

Image: After being rescued, the seal was transported to a nearby RSPCA centre for treatment

Alison Charles, a manager at the RSPCA centre, said Sir David was "really quite poorly" when she first saw him.


"He's not emaciated but he should be a lot bigger and heavier because he's a big old boy," she said.

Image: The name was inspired by Sir David Attenborough's campaigning against plastics use

Ms Charles added that she believed the Frisbee-like toy had been wrapped around Sir David's neck for "some time cutting into his neck".

"It's caused a huge, deep, extensive wound that's really infected."

Once vets were able to cut the plastic from Sir David's neck, he was given antibiotics and painkillers to help him heal.

Image: The RSPCA said Sir David's wound was 'really infected' when he was brought to the centre

Ms Charles noted that this was not the first case the centre had seen.

After its first case in 2008, which involved a nylon fishing line, Ms Charles said the centre had since seen around three to four cases per year.

Image: Vets used surgical scissors to remove the 'Frisbee' from Sir David's neck

But in the last year, there has been a significant increase in reported incidents of seals caught in plastic litter at Ms Charles's RSPCA centre, a trend that was reflected nationwide.

Ms Charles said her centre alone saw 12 cases last year, while the RSPCA reported a national rise from five in 2015 to 28 in 2018.

A nearby sea life centre has also reported an increase in waste-related seal injuries, with one case happening just this week.

"We don't know why there's so much plastic out there and we don't know why we're seeing so many, but we're certainly seeing it," Ms Charles said.

"We hope that people will think about what they're doing and not take this Frisbee to the beach to play with their dog."

Image: Reported cases of seals injured by plastic debris have increased nationwide in the last few years

While Sir David may have been freed from the plastic around his neck, he is not quite ready to be released back into the wild.

The RSPCA is expecting to be looking after Sir David for at least five months, while he is on a rehabilitation plan.