Five seals that were allegedly being exploited by “handlers” to get money from tourists at Hout Bay Harbour have been rescued by the SPCA.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA took legal action last week and obtained a court order from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court for the seizure of five seals who were being used for selfies with visitors – at a fee.
Chief inspector Jaco Pieterse says the seals endured beatings, were being overfed and forced to engage in various physical interactions with mense.
He explains: “This is all driven by human need for entertainment and financial gain. This is simply because of the financial reward paid to the seal ‘handlers’ who charge tourists for the opportunity to feed or engage with them and take photographs of their experience.”
Pieterse explains that these activities are illegal under the Threatened or Protected Marine Species Regulations 2017 and the City of Cape Town Coastal Marine By-Law.
He continues that despite interventions which include the arrest of the perpetrators and the issuing of fines by the authorities, including the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the City’s Law Enforcement, and the SPCA, these illegal activities have continued.
Pieterse goes on, saying: “Aside from being illegal, these actions are also morally reprehensible, because ultimately wild animals pay the price for human interactions.
"Aside from the cruel training methods that are being practised, the seals are unable to express their natural behaviours and are being grossly overfed.
“Two seals are obese, a condition that has resulted from their training, their inability to express their natural behaviour, including swimming and hunting for their own food, as well as being continuously fed by individuals who wish to pose for selfies or interact with a wild animal.
“In addition to this, the seals have become unnaturally accustomed to humans.
“This poses a danger to both humans and seals alike, with seals becoming reliant on humans for food and humans being placed at risk of injury when the expectation for food is not met.”
Over the weekend, the SPCA team relocated the fattened-up seals to an undisclosed location for their own protection, in the hopes that they will not be able to find their way back to the Hout Bay Harbour again and will ultimately be able to fend for themselves.
Pieterse adds: “Exploiting these wild animals for the sake of getting a good picture for your social media platforms is not only illegal, it is morally and ethically wrong. It perpetuates a cycle of abuse and cruelty.”
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