Picture: NSRI Twitter page
An apparently injured Cape fur seal died despite efforts by vets from Durban’s uShaka Marine World to save it‚ the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Monday.
The NSRI’s Richards Bay station was alerted by members of the public to assist at 5 Mile Beach where a seal was found on Sunday.
“Calls to animal agencies had yielded no assistance and the bystanders appealed to the NSRI for help‚” said the statement.
“Because seals are not normally found in Richards Bay‚ the NSRI sent volunteers to investigate.”
The pinniped appeared “to be dehydrated and hypothermic”‚ and efforts “to rally support from official animal agencies and vets in the area…failed”‚ so the NSRI contacted uShaka who “confirmed that they could assist the seal would have to be brought to Durban”.
The seal was wrapped in blankets and transported the 200km from Richards Bay to Durban on the back of an NSRI volunteer’s private bakkie.
On arrival at uShaka‚ “it was confirmed that the seal was dehydrated and hypothermic and vets were able to feed the seal a milk lactate and begin a re-warming process‚ but NSRI Richards Bay were informed on Monday morning that‚ despite all of the efforts made‚ sadly during the night the seal had passed away”.
“It is unknown what led to the seal being so far north in an area where seals are not normally found‚” the statement concluded.
-RDM News Wire
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