The City of Cape Town has asked residents to keep a safe and respectful distance from marine and coastal wildlife at all times, after a video of a seal biting bathers at Clifton Fourth Beach was shared on social media.

The circumstances surrounding the incident on 3 January is not clear, but the footage shows the seal chasing and attacking a young child, and later another bather in the water.

Later, as onlookers intervene, a man is seen picking up and swinging the seal, believed to be a pup, back into the water.

According to some reports, the seal was being provoked prior to the attack.

The City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, says residents should not interfere with coastal wildlife.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to treat all marine and coastal wildlife with respect and to remove their pets from areas where wildlife may be present. In the interest of the safety of beach users, as well as the animals, I want to kindly request residents and visitors to keep a safe and respectful distance from these animals.

He’s urged the public to adhere to the following:

• Do not approach or try and get close to any marine and coastal wildlife. Their natural response will be to defend themselves and this may result in aggressive behaviour.
• Always keep a respectful distance between yourself and any wildlife to reduce stress on the wildlife. Move away if approached by wildlife.
• Never try and touch, or pose with, any marine and coastal wildlife. This places both you and the wildlife at risk of potential harm.
• Keep dogs under control by keeping them on a leash and well away from all wildlife at all times. Remove pets immediately from any place where coastal wildlife are present
• Never try and feed any marine and coastal wildlife.
• Do not support the illegal feeding of wildlife for show, such as the seals at the fishing harbours.

Meanwhile, the SPCA says they’ve received similar incidents involving aggressive seals in Hout Bay and Yzerfontein and in recent months at Fish Hoek Beach and at Noordhoek.

The Department of Environment and Marine Scientists are investigating.

NSRI CEO Dr. Cleeve Robertson has advised patients bitten by a seal should seek immediate professional medical attention at their doctor or at a hospital emergency room.

Bite wounds from seals become severely infected and require thorough cleaning. Wounds of this nature should not immediately be stitched closed and the patient should be prescribed broad spectrum antibiotics.

Without professional medical care results in significant infection, said Dr Robertson.

Did this seal just attack humans without any provocation prior to this incident? Where is the rest of the video? What did they do to it before?? https://t.co/iie0UM3HWN

— Kamogelo – NK🇿🇦 (@nes_kamogelo) January 4, 2023