Mr,SnaPeR Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 Video of two male walkers causing 250 seals to stampede down two beaches in Cornwall has been released to educate people about how to give the animals space in the wild. The Seal Research Trust said the incident, on 17 December 2023, on the north Cornish coast, was the worst on record in its 25-year history. It happened on beaches protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), where seals were a monitored feature, so disturbing them was an offence, it said. Although an investigation found the incident was not malicious, experts said such events could have "serious negative impacts" on seals, including causing stress and injuries. The men walked on to two adjacent beaches, which are not being identified, frightening 87 seals off the first and 163 off the second. Sue Sayer, from the Seal Research Trust, said she was "devastated" by the terrified seals stampeding to the sea for safety. She added it was "very distressing for volunteers to watch". Ms Sayer said the footage had been released to show people what happened when seals were disturbed and how "they race over boulders... rushing" and wasting energy. She added: "They risk gashing their bellies, catching their claws and having them ripped out, and, for youngsters with no fat to protect them, they can break a rib or a bottom jaw... that can be life-threatening." Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3rdj8jll2yo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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