Seals just want a bit of peace

Last updated 05:00 29/07/2009

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Baby seals may look cute and cuddly, but the Conservation Department is urging people to resist the temptation to get close to them.

"They're not like the seals you see at the circus, they have a full set of teeth and can deliver a nasty bite," DOC spokesman Reuben Williams said.

Each winter, bedraggled juvenile fur seals set up camp on Wellington's south coast, tired after a long swim from the bottom of the South Island. They wanted some peace and quiet, but often found their holiday disrupted by well-meaning humans, concerned at the sight of a young seal by itself.

Humans should leave seals alone, unless they were obviously injured, caught in plastic, or heading for a busy road, Mr Williams said. "Even if they look terrible, they're usually okay."

Six years ago, Porirua police got a call that a woman was carrying a small seal around a Porirua street as if it were a baby. The seal was locked in the cells but escaped before being rescued by DOC and freed into Porirua Harbour.

Fur seals were almost hunted to extinction in the 19th century, but were given legal protection in 1875.

New Zealand's fur seal population has been estimated at between 50,000 and 60,000. It is not known how many young seals are on the south coast.

Seals are fully protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act 1978. Disturbing a seal can be punished by up to six months' jail and fines of up to $250,000.

Anybody who sees a seal in serious trouble can call the DOC hotline, 0800 362 468.

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