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- The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has raised concern over seal attacks.
- It says seals are being drowned, stoned and attacked by members of the public.
- Earlier this week, five seals were rescued from handlers in Hout Bay.
Drowning, stoning and dog attacks are just some of the concerning cases of Cape fur seals being harassed along the coast, and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) is now issuing a stern warning to the public.
DFFE said there had been increased "incidents of harassment" of Cape fur seals along the coast – from provoking seals to chase people, prodding them with sticks, or feeding them – in order to share videos on social media.
The department warned that, as a protected species, physical interaction with or feeding of seals was a criminal offence.
DFFE spokesperson Peter Mbelengwa added that four people had recently been convicted in the Khayelitsha Magistrate's Court for stoning a seal.
News24 previously reported that a Cape fur seal was stoned at Monwabisi Beach in January.
READ | Signed, sealed, delivered: Five abused and exploited seals rescued from Hout Bay Harbour
The seal was euthanised due to the severity of its injuries.
The group of men were trying to kill the adult seal by throwing big rocks at it, while it was trapped and unable to escape the attack.
They had reportedly been tasked to do so by a traditional healer who offered them R3 000.
In another case a few days later, a Cape fur seal was poked with sticks when it came on to the shore to rest at Bloubergstrand Beach.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA removed and treated the seal, before releasing it shortly afterward.
In October, a seal bit a beachgoer in Strand after weeks of being harassed by members of the public.
The seal had had stones and rocks thrown at it, been prodded with sticks, had dogs attack it, and had members of the public tease it so they could take footage of it chasing them.
The seal later died from excessive stress after being captured by the SPCA and taken to the Two Oceans Aquarium for assessment.
This week, five seals were rescued from a group of "handlers" who allegedly abused them at the Hout Bay Harbour.
News24 reported that the seals suffered beatings, overfeeding, and being forced to engage in various physical interactions with humans for entertainment and financial gain.
They were relocated to a new area with an existing seal colony.
The department also warned that interacting with seals could be dangerous for both people and seals.
"Cape fur seals are wild animals and have been known to become unpredictably aggressive toward humans, particularly when harassed, resulting in serious injuries," Mbelengwa said.
"The department emphasises that the activities currently taking place constitute harassment and are therefore a criminal offence… and are dangerous both to the public and to the seals."
