Freddie Mercury – west London’s famous seal pup – is due to be put down after sustaining untreatable injuries from a dog on the banks of the Thames. 

A spokesperson for South Essex Wildlife Hospital, the urgent care facility where the seal is recovering, said it was the “only ethical and fair option” to "end his suffering”.

The ten-month-old seal, who is known to enjoy swimming in the Teddington and Twickenham waters, was mauled on Sunday afternoon (March 21) by a dog who had been let off its lead.

Passers-by jumped in to restrain the dog before the British Divers Marine Life Rescue team (BDMLR) arrived to transfer Freddie to a specialist care facility in Orsett.

The young seal was mauled by a dog on Sunday (Image: Laura Bates)

The young seal was mauled by a dog on Sunday (Image: Laura Bates)

Sadly, an update on the South Essex Wildlife Hospital Facebook’s page today (March 22), revealed the seal was in an “extremely poor” condition.

A statement said: “Ourselves and the experts at BDMLR have consulted several specialist marine and orthopaedic vets and as we strongly suspected having taken x rays this morning the prognosis is extremely poor.

“Freddie's flipper is fractured and the joint dislocated. Seals do not take anaesthetic well as they have a dive reflex and don't breathe."

Despite antibiotics and pain relief, the vets continued that Freddie was too uncomfortable to eat and that part of his limb was not repairable.

They added: “We suspect the infection is spreading and with the other bite wounds to his body he is very miserable.”

“We know this is a well-loved seal from the amazing response we have had to his story but he is not the only seal we have had to care for that this has happened to.

“Please folks do not go near seals and always, always, keep dogs on leads and under control.”