The animal ambulance staff is disappointed that the warnings on the sign and the Facebook page did not have the desired effect. People often do not realize that disturbing seals is not without risk for them either, says Pen. “We always call for a distance of 30 meters, but preferably 100 meters, or as much as possible.”
Keep your distance
Seals can bite viciously when threatened and pups are no exception, Pen explains. “If you are bitten by a seal, you need to go to the hospital immediately for antibiotics. You can get an infection very quickly.”
Sometimes such a bite has extremely unpleasant consequences. Pen: “You have something like a seal finger. If your finger turns black after a bite, it must be amputated.”
High fines
Fines may also be imposed. “Seals are protected animals that you should not disturb,” says Pen. “Disturbing a seal can result in a fine of more than a thousand euros.” Animal protection employees cannot impose this, but if the police or enforcement sees this, they can.
“Thinking that you can get close to a seal to take photos and videos for social media, for example, comes from pure ignorance,” says Pen. “People don’t think about that at all.”
The animal ambulance staff hope that there will be more awareness among people who see seals up close. “Keeping a distance of 30 meters is really the minimum.”