Questions have been asked as to how the body of a dead seal came to be left outside Goodwick’s Ocean Lab for five hot days before being removed by Pembrokeshire County Council.

The adult bull seal had to be shot by an RSPCA officer last Wednesday, September 16, after experts deemed it too poorly to save.

The animal seemed to be struggling to breathe and beached itself on Goodwick beach early on Wednesday evening.

Terry Leadbetter, from Welsh Marine Life Rescue and an RSPCA officer were called to the beach alongside staff from marine conservation charity, Sea Trust who had been monitoring the animal all day.

An RSPCA spokesperson said the seal was shot ‘on welfare grounds as it was very unwell and was unable to swim’.

“Chances of a successful rehabilitation for this seal were sadly not realistic,” he added.

The spokesperson said because of the size of the seal the only way to safely and humanely euthanise it was to shoot it. The police and coastguard were made aware that this was happening and the situation was explained to members of the public nearby who moved away.

After it was shot the seal was placed in the outside area at the Ocean Lab, Goodwick Parrog, next to sea trust.

The charity said that it had contacted Pembrokeshire County Council on Thursday, twice on Friday and again on Monday (today) regarding the disposal of the seal’s body which had been left outside wrapped in a tarpaulin during the hot weather and was becoming infested with flies.

A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire County Council said that the corpse was due to be picked up tomorrow (Tuesday) as that is when the ‘appropriate vehicle is due in the area’.

The Western Telegraph asked if it removal of the body had been deemed a priority, due to the hot weather, but received no further comment.