Pregnant seal in Kinsale makes way back to water after causing a stir
The seal in Kinsale
A year after Wally the Walrus found himself in Co Cork, a pregnant seal has caused a stir in Kinsale over the weekend after it heaved itself onto a mooring and howled into the night.
Locals made some unique attempts to calm the seal which is believed to be a female grey seal and heavily pregnant.
Based on the time of year, a spokesperson for Seal Rescue Ireland said it is very possible that the seal is getting ready to give birth. Typically, grey seals give birth on land during autumn and winter but this year, there have already been some reports of pups being born elsewhere in the country.
When females are about to give birth, they come close to shore to rest, and much like humans, they show signs of exhaustion and discomfort with grey seals, in particular, being very vocal.
People in the area reported hearing the seal "howling" and seemingly in distress with one local even playing a bit of music for the seal in the hopes of calming her.
However, after remaining on the mooring for approximately 12 hours on Sunday, it has been reported that the seal has since made its way back into the water.
“It's absolutely fantastic to see so many caring members of the public showing concern about a wild animal! It was reported to us that the seal slipped back into the sea early this morning and hasn't been spotted since, but we do have trained volunteers in the area monitoring in case she shows back up,” the spokesperson said under a Facebook post by a concerned local.
“The best thing for anyone to do if they come across this seal in the wild, or any other seal, is to maintain a safe distance (100m minimum), and do not touch, approach, feed, harrass, or attempt to put it in the water, as doing so can cause stress and/or harm to the animal.”
They added that seals need to rest for long periods of time on dry land or an artificial object that can hold their body weight and due to coastal development and habitat loss, they are often forced into close proximity with humans.
“Although seals are fascinating, iconic animals, it is extremely important to not get them habituated to humans, as they're opportunist and curious in nature, and may not understand the danger that humans present."
If there's ever concern about a sick, injured or orphaned seal, Seal Rescue Ireland has asked the public to take a photo using a good zoom lens, and send it to them with the seal's exact location.
Seal Rescue Ireland's 24/7 Rescue Hotline can be reached 087 195 5393, and more info can be found on www.sealrescueireland.org
