South African seal rescued from fishing hooks (PHOTOS)
The young male is recovering well after treatment and remains in rabies quarantine as a precaution, veterinarians have said
A young Cape fur seal is recovering at Durban’s uShaka Sea World, South Africa, after being found with several fishing hooks embedded in his body, the news outlet IOL reported on Wednesday.
It’s only the second case of its kind in the KwaZulu-Natal region in more than 20 years, according to the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR).
Nicknamed ‘Captain Hook’ by staff, the two-and-a-half-year-old male was caught in early July at eManzimtoti, a coastal town just south of Durban. Marine experts believe the seal had followed the annual Sardine Run before food shortages drove him to seek bait from fishing lines, resulting in his injuries.
Hooks were removed from his mouth and back, and he was treated with antibiotics and pain relief. A further gastroscopic examination found one more hook in his oesophagus, but a decision was made to leave it in place as according to SAAMBR spokesperson Ann Kunz it posed no immediate health risk.
The seal is gaining weight on a diet of pilchards, hake, sprats and squid, with the latter “being his least favourite (he believes squid is just like broccoli),” she said.
“He still has a long way to go before he reaches his goal weight, but it is safe to say that he is now out of the woods and on the road to recovery,” SAAMBR press service reported on Tuesday.
‘Captain Hook’ remains in quarantine for rabies monitoring, despite vaccination, as a precaution. Cape fur seals in South Africa and Namibia have previously tested positive for the virus.
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In May, another young male southern elephant seal was rescued after wandering through the streets of Gordon’s Bay, near Cape Town. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA said the seal was secured near a shopping center and later returned it to the sea, sharing video of the release.