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| Seal seen at Drayton Lakes Reserve - 50 miles from sea | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A seal is thought to have swum more than 50 miles (80km) along a flooded river to an RSPB nature reserve, where it was filmed "hopping" into a lake. | A seal is thought to have swum more than 50 miles (80km) along a flooded river to an RSPB nature reserve, where it was filmed "hopping" into a lake. |
| The marine mammal was filmed in a YouTube clip, published on Sunday, in a lake at Fen Drayton Lakes Reserve, in Swavesey, Cambridgeshire. | |
| Graham Elliott of the RSPB said it was a "surprising" but not unique sighting. | Graham Elliott of the RSPB said it was a "surprising" but not unique sighting. |
| "You occasionally get seals in the River Ouse near St Ives but I've never known of one here before," he said. | |
| "The surprising thing was to see it leaving the river and hopping over the bank, entering the gravel pits area." | "The surprising thing was to see it leaving the river and hopping over the bank, entering the gravel pits area." |
| The footage shows the seal battling to cross a barrier to get into a lake on the RSPB site. | The footage shows the seal battling to cross a barrier to get into a lake on the RSPB site. |
| The 29-year-old man who captured the footage said he initially thought he had seen a dog when he approached the area while on a walk with a friend at about 13:45 GMT on Sunday. | |
| The designer, who wanted to be known as Robjn, said: "At first sight, I thought it was a dog in trouble but as it came up for air I could see it was a seal. | |
| "It was swimming up a ditch that links to the Great Ouse. In the video, it is swimming from the ditch up into the flooded field. | |
| "It had a few tries at different points of climbing the bank but in the film was the successful attempt. After that I point we didn't see it again." | |
| 'New views' | |
| Water levels have remained high following recent heavy rain in the area, leading to the river flooding nearby fields. | Water levels have remained high following recent heavy rain in the area, leading to the river flooding nearby fields. |
| Mr Elliott said the creature could prove to be a "great visitor attraction", although it has not been seen since the footage was taken. | Mr Elliott said the creature could prove to be a "great visitor attraction", although it has not been seen since the footage was taken. |
| "If anybody does see it, we'd love to hear the news," he said. | "If anybody does see it, we'd love to hear the news," he said. |
| "It was probably just exploring new views." | "It was probably just exploring new views." |
| He added there was enough fish in the lakes to sustain it. | He added there was enough fish in the lakes to sustain it. |
| Mr Elliott said the RSPB would monitor the situation and there was no apparent cause for concern. | Mr Elliott said the RSPB would monitor the situation and there was no apparent cause for concern. |