Capetonians were bewildered to cross paths early on Wednesday with a Cape fur seal attempting to navigate a busy road several kilometres from the ocean.

Metro police intervened to direct traffic after the adult seal was spotted on Jakes Gerwel Drive opposite Vangate Mall in Athlone.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) was alerted and responded immediately.

“At a time of year when the shops are packed and companies are vying for attention with all sorts of gimmicks to sell the latest fad, we are used to seeing strange things at the malls, but when the Cape of Good Hope SPCA wildlife department received a call about a Cape fur seal crossing the busy Jakes Gerwel Drive ... even we had to wonder,” said the SPCA.

“Arriving at the scene, SPCA chief inspector Jaco Pieterse and inspector Lwazi Ntungele found a large adult female Cape fur seal wandering about into traffic while attracting a crowd of onlookers. The City of Cape Town’s metro police were on the scene, controlling traffic to keep the animal safe.”

The inspectors put the seal in a crate, assessed its health and released it at the nearest beach “where it can recover from its ordeal in peace”.

How the creature ended up where it did is, for now, a mystery.

“One theory is it swam into a canal and was washed further away by strong currents, or it was intended to be an unusual Christmas gift for someone’s mother-in-law and then dumped when its captor saw the price of fish,” quipped the SPCA.

“Either way, Santa the seal (as she was named by onlookers), skipped into the water and swam off with a wave of a flipper. Her Christmas shopping will have to wait.”

The SPCA cautioned the public not to approach wild animals, especially Cape fur seals, which can be aggressive and bite when cornered or feeling threatened.

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This seal get luck say no be lalasticlala backyard him dey pass so, lala for capture am bake am join him snake meat, hang am for dryer for Christmas jollyment

Oh boy

SA no be Warri o

Supposing it happened in Nigeria, sorry is the name of that seal, even govt officials sent to rescue it have a share in the meat.

If na my country naija…


One person for done post for nairaland say God done bless am with meat.

Lala for come move to front page.

What a country!

I hear seal...I think say na navy seal oh

brain54:
If na my country naija…

One person for done post for nairaland say God done bless am with meat.
Lala for come move to front page.
What a country!

Before nko?! Christmas meat and pepper-soup don land be that!

It could be any other place but not Nigeria. We all know how hungry wr are in this present government

This animal should thank its God the road is not in southwest Nigeria.

If this had happened in Nigeria...

TheEnygma:
If this had happened in Nigeria...

The seal would be a gonner!

Nigerians left the group chat!

...

Chai, see Christmas meat

If Na 9ja my blessed country
The seals fate would have been sealed by Now.
Up 9ja!!!

See better pepper soup meat

In Nigeria, it would be in one pot of soup or in people's digestive system by now.

I trust my naija people

Lucky Navy seal

Nija for don carry stick kill am.

If na my con3, pepper soup don set for some pipo be that.. Some go carry am cook noodles

Let the animal be.
It is not stupid. He just wanna have fun

If this was Nigeria, this deal no go pass the shores of the sea before string hangs go grab an, two seconds seal pepper soup don set

Some ppl pot for don full like dis if it was in Nigeria

If na naija

U no d rest

I need to be in South Africa to catch one of them seals for Christmas this weekend unless na fish and egg we go declare put inside soup.

See better pepper soup with cold big stout

H

What's up Most High God!

I saw the thing you did in faraway SA.


In the same fashion as you did for the children of Israelites, you sent "sumptuous materials" in inform of seal bread, and they said they're sated. They said their freezers are stocked and filled with enough meat. They've got a year supply of groceries.

In other words, they're evidently not lacking anything.

Baba God! Me and other Nigerians have turned our freezers to boxes for books. Reason why is because: we got no supply of electricity, plus no money for meat.

Good God. This is the moment that I need you most.

SEND me something related to a SEAL.

Oh, God go ahead and send me chicken because where I reside is thousands of kilometers away from the Atlantic.

Omnipresent, if I see a white cock strolling around my environment this evening should I claim as a gift from you ?