By Associated Press - Monday, May 19, 2014

OCEAN SHORES, Wash. (AP) - Ocean Shores police received an increase in 911 calls over the weekend from people reporting harbor seal pups that appeared to be stranded.

Police say don’t worry; the baby seals are just waiting for mom to return.

Officer Paul Henderson tells KBKW (https://bit.ly/1lBv9l5 ) mothers will often leave their pups on the beach for several hours at a time while they’re foraging for food. It’s normal for seal pups to be alone on the beach. This does not mean they’re abandoned.

But, meddling with a pup might cause the mother to abandon it.

Nursing pups remain with their mothers for four to six weeks until they are weaned.

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Information from: KBKW-AM, https://kbkw.com

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