There are concerns that the public aren’t heeding the call to stay away from seals amid a rabies scare after reports of seal petting at Hout Bay Harbour last weekend.
The City has warned the public to stay away from seals after the Western Cape Provincial Veterinary Services confirmed that a Cape fur seal off the coast at Big Bay tested positive for rabies on Friday June 7.
“The public must take extra precaution to stay away from Cape fur seals as far as possible and to not, under any circumstances, allow their dogs close to these animals. This precaution applies to the entire Cape Peninsula coastline. Any person bitten by a seal is urged to seek immediate medical attention and to notify the relevant authorities,“ the statement said.
A Hout Bay resident, who did not want to be named, told the Sentinel that he had seen tourists interacting with a seal at the harbour on Saturday and he sent a photo showing three people standing approximately two metres from a seal.
“As you know the public are being warned to stay well away from seals after it has been confirmed seals have rabies. But will the illegal seal handlers at Hout Bay take notice or continue as before and put the lives of tourists at risk?” he said.
It was illegal for members of the public to feed seals, but it continued to happen at the harbour with tourists being encouraged to feed the animals and have their photos taken with them, he said.
“The seal feeders are just trying to make a living and are probably totally unaware of the rabies warning regarding all seals all around the Cape Peninsula, but tourists are still feeding them.”
The resident is calling for signs to be posted warning tourists that a Cape fur seal has tested positive for rabies and to steer clear.
Last year, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment officials, supported by City Law Enforcement, arrested a man in a crackdown on the “illegal, destructive and cruel practice of seals being fed, habituated and used as an illegal means of eliciting money from unsuspecting tourists visiting the Hout Bay Harbour”, according to City spokesman Luthando Tyhalibongo (“Man arrested for feeding returned harbour seal,” Sentinel, December 2023).
Hout Bay Seal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre operations director Kim Krynauw said they were opposed to seal petting at the harbour.
“This has been going on for years, and we are totally opposed to it and have always been. We, unfortunately, cannot stop this practice, and only the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment can,” she said.
Mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment Eddie Andrews confirmed that seal feeding, petting or any kind of direct contact with seals was illegal.
“The City along with DFFE, SPCA and others have tried repeatedly to stop the seal feeding in Hout Bay, and we have arrested the seal feeders many times only for them to get bail and return the next day.
“We advise all tourists that they are breaking the law if they pay a seal-feeder or if they pet seals. With regards to the recently confirmed cases of rabies in the seal population, there are no confirmed rabies cases in the seal population in Hout Bay. However, we strongly advise the public not to get close to any seal.”
DFFE chief director Peter Mbelengwa said pamphlets and brochures were issued to harbour visitors warning that it was illegal to interact with marine wildlife.
“In addition, there are information boards which serve to remind the public that it is a criminal offence to approach, attack, tease seals for photo opportunities or feed the seals under the Threatened or Protected Marine Species Regulations 2017. In addition, security has been increased to monitor and prevent non-compliance by members of the public,“ he said.
