The Cape of Good Hope SPCA rescued a Cape fur seal that was found crossing Jakes Gerwel Drive in Athlone on Wednesday morning.
SPCA chief inspector Jaco Pieterse and Inspector Lwazi Ntungele found the adult female seal had drawn surprised onlookers as it wandered into traffic.
The inspectors got the seal into a crate and gave it a quick health check before taking it to a quiet beach, said Mr Pieterse.
The public should not approach Cape fur seals as they could be aggressive and bite when feeling threatened, the SPCA said.
Mr Pieterse said it was unclear what had led the seal to stray so far from the sea.
“One theory is that it had swum into a canal and was washed further away by strong currents or that it was intended to be an unusual Christmas gift for someone’s mother-in-law and then merely dumped when its captor saw the price of fish! Either way, Santa the seal (as she was named by onlookers) skipped into the water and swam off with a wave of her flipper. Her Christmas shopping will have to wait.”
He appealed to the public to donate to the SPCA so it can help animals in need.
To report a wild animal in need or to make a donation, call the Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s wildlife department at 021 700 4158/9 or 083 326 1604.