The Pieterburen seal center has sounded the alarm about the large number of disturbed seal pups that the center has had to take care of in recent weeks. People take selfies with the animals, pet them or throw stones. They also let their pet near seals.
In a short time, Pieterburen says he has taken in 33 seal pups, ten of which ended up in the shelter due to actions by people. For example, the center cites two examples of puppies that were placed in children’s arms for a photo. “A major risk for both humans and animals,” says Pieterburen. Seals can bite.
The municipality of Vlieland also calls on people to keep their distance from seals on Thursday. The seal pup’s mother can leave the animal alone for up to 8 hours. This is normal and does not mean that something is wrong. If people disturb the seal pup, the mother will not return. As a result, the puppy is left alone and must be taken care of to prevent it from dying.
It is forbidden to pick up or help seals yourself. Only trained seal guards are allowed to do this.