Four suspects have been arrested in South Africa for allegedly killing a seal at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town on Sunday evening, the City of Cape Town confirmed on Monday.
The seal had to be euthanised after being brutally stoned, the city said.
“This is one of the most brutal attacks on our wildlife in recent times,” said deputy mayor Eddie Andrews.
“One cannot fathom the pain and stress the seal had to endure while this was happening. I am shocked and horrified and call on the public to please keep notifying us when they see animals attacked, harmed or in distress.”
The suspects were arrested after an anonymous tip-off and intervention by city law enforcement and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
The attack follows a much-publicised incident on Clifton Beach last week when a seal pup bit three bathers, who all sustained minor injuries.
Marine scientists are concerned about an apparent increase in aggressive seal behaviour, which some say may be linked to algal blooms.
In condemning the Monwabisi attack, Andrews appealed to residents to “respect and treasure” its wildlife:
“We have said it many times before, but I want to remind the public to please keep a safe and respectful distance from marine animals at all times, and to not interfere or feed them. Pets should be removed where wildlife is present. Cape Town’s unique location with its pristine coastline and Table Mountain National Park, together with protected areas and nature reserves, requires all of us to be mindful of our impact on wildlife and to take extra care to live in harmony alongside these creatures.”
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA said “a group of men were observed trying to kill an adult Cape fur seal by throwing big rocks at it while it was trapped and unable to escape on Monwabisi Beach at about 6pm on Sunday evening.”
The seal was taken to a vet but had to be euthanised due to the severity of injuries it sustained in the stoning.
“Seeing the broken condition this animal was in when it was carried off the beach made my blood run cold. Not in 37 years of working in wildlife welfare have I seen such a case of abject cruelty visited on a defenceless animal that was in all likelihood just minding its own business,” said SPCA wildlife officer Jon Friedman.
The SPCA said: “According to one of the suspects, who was questioned about what their motive was in trying to kill the seal, he explained that he and a group of friends had been [allegedly] approached by a traditional healer who pointed out the seal to them and offered them R3,000 to kill it.”
Charges of animal cruelty and of hunting a protected species have been laid against the suspects.
