Images Dated 14th December 2016

Germany-Animal-Environment-Seal

A female Grey Seal gets close to her pup on a beach on the north Sea island of Helgoland, Germany, on December 14, 2016.
As the mating season starts after female Grey Seals give birth, males usually compete by shows of strength against other males. Hundreds of Grey Seals use the island to give birth to their pups, usually between the months of November and January. The pups, after 3 weeks of nursing, are then left to fend for themselves. This year has seen a record number of new pups, with 320 births recorded up to December 14. / AFP PHOTO / John MACDOUGALL

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