SHARK FEARS as mutilated corpse of DEAD SEAL found washed up on British beach
A COUPLE were horrified to find a chewed-up baby seal as they walked along a popular beach - sparking fears a SHARK could be lurking in the waters.
Shark fears after remains of baby seal found washed up on British beach
Lauren Gillies, 25, and her boyfriend Matty Burgess, 29, made the gruesome discovery as they trooped along the sands at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, at 1pm on Saturday.
They initially thought they had stumbled across a distressed baby seal - before realising the mutilated marine mammal had been munched in half.
Miss Gillies, of Yarmouth, said: "Initially my reaction was 'Oh my God a baby seal I need to help it back in the sea'.
"And then as I got closer I realised it was chewed in half and it totally freaked me out and baffled me.
As I got closer I realised it was chewed in half and it totally freaked me out
"We were just absolutely stunned."
She added: "Honestly, we just couldn't make out what had eaten it.
"We do often go beach walking here but we've never come across this sort of sight before."
Remains of a seal found at Great Yarmouth beach
Shocking footage of brave fisherman fending off shark
The find sparked fears that the poor seal may have been attacked and butchered by a prowling killer shark.
But Hollie Stephenson, animal carer at Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary, north Norfolk, said the victim was probably killed by a jealous territorial seal.
She said: "The seal population has been booming in recent years.
A baby seal pup
"The most likely cause of this was an adult seal being possessive and marking their territory - particularly as this is now breeding season," she stressed.
"They will do this by grasping the seal pup by the scruff of the neck and spinning them round in a spiral motion.
"I believe this was the most likely cause of this seal carcass."