Baby seal reunited with mother after escaping dog attack

Published: September 13, 2006 | 4746th good news item since 2003

Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger Doug Te Wake said they were alerted after the seal was found hiding under water tank stand on a Hapua property in the Far North.

The owners were concerned their dogs would kill the youngster when they found its hiding place.

DOC staff lured the seal with a lasso as local schoolchildren watched on.

It was returned to its mother, who was hunting in the harbour.

The rescue only took ten minutes, but a careful approach was needed, Mr Te Wake said.

“Although seals appear docile, they can become very aggressive, especially when cornered.
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“They have extremely sharp teeth, which makes crawling into a small space and coming face to face with a frightened seal potentially dangerous.”

It was not unusual for seals to come up on shore and hide under houses and structures, he said.

“It’s best to leave them alone, as they will head out to sea when they are ready.”

Seals were also carriers of hepatitis A, which could be contracted by people through a seal coughing or sneezing on them, Mr Te Wake said.

New Zealand fur seals are found throughout New Zealand.

Male seals grow to approximately 1.8m in length and can weigh up to 140kg.

They eat octopus, squid and various fish.

Published in Animals
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