East Lothian locals 'heartbroken' after seals found dead on Thortonloch beach in Dunbar

Four dead seals were discovered on a popular dog-walking beach in Dunbar, amidst a severe bird flu outbreak.

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East Lothian residents found the deceased animals on Thortonloch beach in Dunbar on Sunday. One local described the discovery as “heartbreaking", while another asked: “Why does this happen?”.

There is concern that the deaths could have been caused by bird flu, after new research revealed that seals can catch the deadly disease. In recent months, the avian influenza epidemic has ripped through wild bird colonies in Scotland, with large numbers of dead and sick seabirds being reported in East Lothian. Bass Rock, an island in the Firth of Forth which has the world’s largest Northern gannet population, has also been badly affected.

East Lothian locals and dog-walkers have been warned to keep away from dead animals found on the shore, after four deceased seals were found on a beach in Dunbar.

Locals and dog-owners have been warned to keep themselves and their pets away from any dead animals found on the shore.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Wildlife Trust said: "It's saddening to hear that four seals have been found dead on Thorntonloch beach in Dunbar. We can't truly know the cause of seal mortality without a post-mortem; any seals, whales, dolphins, porpoises, marine turtles and basking sharks that wash ashore should be reported to the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) who conduct this research.

"In light of the current avian flu outbreak, that research shows seals are susceptible to, we strongly advise that people keep themselves and their pets distant from any marine animals found on the shore which are sick, injured or dead. Further avian flu guidance can be found on our website here."