Stuck seal pup saved after being found at the West Cornwall Golf Club near St Ives

Early last Sunday morning one of the greenkeepers at West Cornwall Golf Club in Lelant discovered that the pup had somehow found its way onto the golf course, having navigated its way around several deep bunkers.

It had rolled onto its back and become stuck in a hollow adjacent to the sixth Green.

"Our long established group of greenkeepers are used to dealing with all manner of unusual events in the day to day management of the course here at West Cornwall but this Sunday produced a circumstance more unusual than normal," said a spokesman for West Cornwall Golf Club.

Early on Sunday morning our youngest greenkeeper and newest recruit Gavin felt the need to ring his boss, course manager Keith Kemp. "What's the problem?" enquired Keith of his young understudy, "and what on earth is making that dreadful screaming noise?" Gavin responded by telling him: "it's a seal pup."

Keith rushed to the course immediately to be confronted by a bemused young greenkeeper and a particularly angry seal pup.

After assessing the situation - and fearing the loss of one or more fingers with every attempt to move the pup - Keith decided to call the experts from the Maritime Animal Response Team who arrived on the scene very quickly.

They advised that the pup was approximately five weeks old and in good health, despite its ordeal.

With expert and careful handling the pup was transported back to the beach and gently released back into its natural environment.