Latest news with #seal
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Wildlife hospital issues fundraising plea for 'vital' seal rehab pool repairs
SOUTH Essex Wildlife Hospital has issued a plea to residents for support in repairing its "vital" seal rehab pool. The hospital operates on of the UK's few specialist facilities for orphaned seal pups and is currently experiencing issues with the pool's filtration system. Residents have been asked to contribute whatever they can to the hospital's JustGiving page in the hopes of raising the much-needed repair costs. We're now on WhatsApp! Join our new channel at to get all the latest breaking news and exclusive stories delivered straight to your phone. A spokesperson for the hospital said: "Helping injured, orphaned or abandoned seal pups is one of our specialties here at South Essex Wildlife Hospital. "Very few places in the UK are equipped to give these beautiful creatures a second chance and we will do everything we can to help our fishy friends get back to the big blue sea, but we need your help to do so. "Sadly, our seal rehab pool filtration system is in urgent need of repairs. This system is absolutely vital in keeping these young pups healthy and we just can't get them back to the wild without it. "Please can you help us give these little animals the chance they deserve. We honestly can't do it without you and even £1 helps so much." You can support the fundraiser at
South China Morning Post
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Japan aquarist says sorry to seal for giving it wrong name; story gets 30 million views
A Japanese aquarist who accidentally named a baby seal wrongly in a post online and then bowed in apology to the animal, prompting it to extend its flipper in a gesture of apparent forgiveness, has gone viral. Advertisement The heartwarming moment has attracted more than 30 million viewers online, turning a minor mishap into a global sensation. The touching story unfolded at the Joetsu Aquarium Umiagatari in Joetsu, Niigata prefecture, on the west coast of Japan's Honshu Island, on July 19. An unidentified aquarist shared a photo of a seal standing upright on its hind flippers, seemingly striking a pose. The aquarium is home to about 45,000 aquatic creatures across 300 species and boasts Japan's largest collection of Magellanic penguins, with over 100 on display. Baby seal Futaba has attracted millions of views online thanks to her reaction to the aquarist's apology. Photo: X/@_umigatari It is also one of the few places in the country where visitors can see beluga whales.
CTV News
01-08-2025
- CTV News
Woman describes seeing father and daughter mutilate dead seal on California beach
Watch A California woman says she confronted a man and his daughter mutilating a dead seal on a beach.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sad encounter on empty beach highlights growing threat: 'I thought it was dead'
A woman's 'chance' encounter on a remote beach has highlighted a deadly issue plaguing Australia's coastlines. Genevieve Bale was enjoying a day off from work on Monday when she decided to take her dog for a walk along a virtually empty beach in Peterborough, roughly three hours west of Melbourne, and collect any rubbish or marine debris she spotted along the way. After wandering along the sand, the Beach Patrol volunteer was preparing to leave when she 'got the shock of her life'. 'I'd walked the stretch of the beach and it had no one on it… just as I was leaving the beach I happened to look in that direction and saw the seal,' she told Yahoo News, noting the creature had nestled itself far away from the water, near the sand dunes. 'At first I thought it was dead, but then I realised it was alive and noticed the fishing rope around it.' Shocking photos show an abandoned trawler net — otherwise referred to as a ghost net — wrapped tightly around the juvenile fur seal's neck, with 'metres of heavy line trailing behind'. While the animal appears to be larger in images, it was only the size of a 'biggish Jack Russell dog', Genevieve said. 'It cried as I approached it. It was definitely distressed because it kept moving its back flipper like it was trying to just get this thing off,' she continued, adding that the seal also looked 'quite thin'. Concerned for its welfare, the volunteer tied her dog to a tree several metres away and contacted another Beach Patrol leader, who then reached out to Zoos Victoria's Marine Response Unit for help. As they embarked on the long drive west, members of the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation arrived to keep an eye on the seal and make sure it didn't head back into the water. Thankfully, zoo staff were able to untangle the animal, which didn't appear to have any serious injuries. Tangled seal a 'stark reminder', volunteer says Genevieve said it was 'lucky' that she spotted the seal as she only visits the remote beach about once a year. 'It was a stark reminder of why beach cleaners do what they do,' she told Yahoo. Since she started volunteering about eight years ago, the Victorian said she has noticed an abundance of discarded rope and marine debris washing up on our shores. 'We collect ropes and nets off beaches every week to prevent this kind of thing — but seeing it happen right in front of you hits hard.' Since 2018, volunteers for Beach Patrol's regional offshoot in Warrnambool have collected a total of 72,682 ropes and nets. So far this year, they have recorded 9,055 fishing items — mainly rope and dumped line — and just over 2,000kg of rubbish. 'There is so much rope out there. It's so harmful… this little guy, how many do you not find that are ending up like this?' Genevieve said. 📸 Detail in beach photo proves $17 billion Aussie issue is 'getting worse' 🚮 Aussie state rolls out new bins to help tackle deadly issue 🏝️ Never before seen photos of six-tonne find on coast exposes growing crisis Ghost nets wreak havoc on Aussie coastline Ghost fishing nets — abandoned, lost or discarded fishing nets that can drift for years — and marine debris are a big issue across Australia. They wreak havoc on marine life, trapping and killing turtles, dolphins and other creatures, as well as silently destroying fragile ecosystems. Scientists working to help curb the problem in the Northern Territory previously told Yahoo they've discovered ghost nets roughly every kilometre in the region, tangled in rocks, buried in sand or lodged in mangroves. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
RNZ News
30-07-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Seal eating eels on farm 10km from ocean
Photo: Screenshot / Clarke Boys Hunting After heavy rainfall in Coromandel, a family have spotted a seal in floodwaters on their farm, catching eels. "Crazy stuff on the farm this morning!" Clarke Boys Hunting posted on social media. "The last thing you expect to see when you get a flood on the farm is a seal catching eels in the paddocks over 10km from the ocean. As you can hear the kids loved seeing the visitor having his lunch." It seems they aren't the only ones who have spotted a seal, with NS Hunting commenting that he'd seen a seal in a lake on his farm recently too. "Only way for it to get there was a lot of flopping." Someone else said: "Getting them way up the Whanganui river too bro miles away from the ocean."
