Latest news with #elephantseal
Russia Today
4 days ago
- General
- Russia Today
Elephant seal returns to sea after unexpected appearance in town (VIDEOS, PHOTO)
A southern elephant seal has been safely returned to the ocean after wandering through the streets of Gordon's Bay, a coastal town near Cape Town, South Africa. The seal's appearance had prompted a large-scale rescue operation. The young male, estimated to weigh around two tons (4,400 pounds), was first spotted early Tuesday navigating the suburb's streets. Startled residents emerged from their homes to witness the unexpected visitor, capturing videos of the marine mammal lumbering along sidewalks. In one widely shared clip, police officers can be seen surrounding the visitor with their vehicles, attempting to prevent the animal from moving further. However, the seal showed no fear of the cars and calmly rested its head on the hood of a vehicle. After a while, it resumed its journey, making its way onto the sidewalk. Wow, I didn't have a huge seal in Gordons Bay, Cape Town in South Africa on my list of things to post today....🦭 The Cape of Good Hope SPCA confirmed that the animal was eventually secured near a shopping center, at which point experts concluded it was unlikely to find its own way back to sea. A team of wildlife and emergency personnel was quickly dispatched to the scene. The organization also released a video showing the seal's return to the sea. The SPCA later confirmed in a Facebook post that the seal had hauled out once again, this time at the Naval Base in Simon's Town. 'He's currently safe and secure in a location where he cannot access any roads, and there's no immediate risk to his well-being,' the organization said. Southern elephant seals are the largest seal species in the world and are typically found in sub-Antarctic waters. While sightings in South Africa are rare, experts note that young males occasionally stray from their usual habitats and appear along the country's coastline. 'Wild animals don't always follow the script, and this seal's unexpected journey into a residential area created real cause for concern,' Belinda Abraham, a spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, stated. The organization also urged residents to avoid approaching, feeding, or attempting to assist wildlife spotted in urban areas, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a safe distance.
CNN
5 days ago
- General
- CNN
Elephant seal in Cape Town finds its way into suburbia, stops traffic
A Southern elephant seal makes a surprise visit to the residential neighborhood of Gordon's Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, and triggers an almost nine-hour rescue effort to return him to the coast.
CNN
5 days ago
- General
- CNN
Elephant seal in Cape Town finds its way into suburbia, stops traffic
A Southern elephant seal makes a surprise visit to the residential neighborhood of Gordon's Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, and triggers an almost nine-hour rescue effort to return him to the coast.
CBS News
6 days ago
- General
- CBS News
2-ton elephant seal takes "unexpected journey" into residential area in South Africa before safely returning to sea
A large elephant seal took a wrong turn and was seen lumbering along a street in a coastal town in South Africa early Tuesday, surprising residents and inspiring a rescue effort to get him back to sea. The two-ton seal, which an animal welfare group said was a young male, was making his way through a suburb of Gordon's Bay near Cape Town. Locals came out of houses and recorded videos. "This is unreal. Hi, bro, how did you get here?" one woman asked. Members of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) watch an elephant seal cornered on a street in Gordon's Bay, near Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. / AP Police and a local security company attempted to contain the seal by parking patrol cars around him. He rested his huge head on the hood of one car and half-climbed over another before slipping free, crossing a road and carrying on up a sidewalk. The seal eventually stopped next to a shopping mall. Animal welfare officials worried he was too far from the ocean to find his way back and might become exhausted and dehydrated. They estimated he weighed around two tons (4,400 pounds). Elephant seals can grow to twice that size. According to the local Cape of Good Hope SPCA, southern elephant seals are the world's largest seal species and are commonly found in sub-Antarctic regions — not South Africa. But every once in a while, lone elephants seals -- usually young males -- make their way to South Africa's coast. A team of marine wildlife specialists and a city veterinarian sedated the seal and guided him into an animal transport trailer to be returned to his natural habitat at a nearby bay. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA later posted a video on social media of the seal making his way down a beach and toward the ocean. "Sea you later," the video said. Staff members of the Marine Unit with Shark Spotters facilitate the transportation of an elephant seal that found its way into a residential area in Gordon's Bay, near Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. AP "Wild animals don't always follow the script, and this seal's unexpected journey into a residential area created real cause for concern," Belinda Abraham, spokesperson for the local SPCA, said in a statement. "With so many moving parts — traffic, onlookers, and a massive marine mammal in distress — it took rapid coordination and clear focus to keep everyone safe."
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Watch: Huge elephant seal pays surprise visit to residents
A humongous elephant seal was caught roaming around a residential area in Cape Town, South Africa. Residents of Gordon's Bay woke up on Tuesday (27 May) to find an unusual visitor waddling around their town, located nearly a kilometer away from the shoreline. In the clip, the creature can be seen on the grass outside a property, with emergency service workers nearby. A rescue operation was soon launched and the two tonne marine mammal was returned to the sea by the afternoon. The Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) described the operation on Facebook as a 'delicate, hours-long rescue involving multiple agencies, a concerned community, and a very big seal'.
