Stressed seal dies after biting woman in Cape Town
The City of Cape Town said that the seal suffered after days of “ongoing public harassment” at Strand Beach before biting the woman.
A Cape Town woman was attacked by a stressed out seal on Strand Beach after failing to see the animal during her evening walk. According to officials, the seal suffered for days due to harassment by the public. The City of Cape Town and SPCA expressed their outrage at the public’s treatment of the seal. Seals are commonly spotted on Strand Beach soaking up the sun, but are often attacked and provoked by the public for social media videos.
How did the Cape Town seal die?
The statement said that the continuous public harassment resulted in the seal “attacking a visitor and the ultimate unnecessary death of the seal”. It was announced on their page that the seal had died from stress.
The seal, which was already stressed out due to days of ongoing harassment, had to be transported to a veterinarian after attacking the woman. The seal was to be relocated to a safe area away from the public, however it died due to excessive stress. Stress in seals is common, especially when seals are relocated. It remains one of the main causes for the death of seals in Cape Town.
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“Repeated harassment by members of the public”
Officials stated that the seal was continuously attacked and harassed on Strand Beach. They said that members of the public would poke, provoke and even set dogs on the seal in order to get videos of the animal for social media.
Cape Town woman survived seal bite
Thankfully, the woman who was bitten was taken to hospital by paramedics and received treatment for her bite. She is said to be recovering well. The incident is not to be seen as an attack , but due to the woman unknowingly walking into the seal’s path.
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City of Cape Town urges public to leave seals alone
Strand Beach has a history of seals being provoked and harassed by the public. Earlier this year, four men were arrested and charged after brutally harming a seal in Cape Town. The City of Cape Town urged the public to leave seals alone and not tease them for footage. Deputy Mayor Alderman Eddie Andrews said that “it is illegal to harass any coastal wildlife and the responsibility rests with the public to keep their distance”.
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