In the summer months we start seeing small, newly-weaned Cape Fur Seals hauling out along the mainland. They are small, brown in colour and have a yellowish stripe running along their mouth line. These animals are called yearlings and usually they are exhausted and just need a chance to rest.
Please DO NOT DISTURB them, chase them back into the water or try to feed them as this does more harm than good.
This is all part of a natural process whereby the young animals swim away from the island and learn how to hunt for themselves. Sometimes, after strong winds and big swells, newborn pups are washed off the breeding colony and also end up along our shore. This is a very sad sight to behold because the chances of them surviving in this situation is zero. Sometimes even the umbilical cord is still attached. This can be heart-breaking for you to see but remember that it is all part of a natural process that regulates population numbers, whereby the strongest pups who can hang onto the rocks, or head onto higher ground, survive. The colony closest to us is Geyser Rock and is an estimated 60 000 strong.
Responsibility for the stranded pups lies with the Department of Environment Affairs but logistically it is impossible for them to be everywhere along the coast. At the Dyer Island Conservation Trust our shared passion is to give stranded animals a second chance, so if you find a BLACK pup please bring it to the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) where we have a temporary pen far away from the penguins. We will rehydrate the pups and take them back to the island at the nearest available opportunity. Please make very sure it is a black pup and NOT a brown one – be careful because seals bite and this bite can become infected. Remember, brown pups are naturally dispersing and do not need to go back to the island.
Best if you are not sure is to take a photo and whatsapp it to our rescue line number 0760613114 and we can advise from there. Please be sure to give correct location details.
Further information:
Cape fur seals are the only seals that breed along the coast of southern Africa. They breed in colonies made up of bulls with a harem of approximately 20 cows.
The bulls first haul out in October in order to start defending a territory and then the pregnant cows come ashore in November where they give birth to, usually one, small, black pup.
Most pups are born by the beginning of December.
The cow suckles for 1-2 days alternating with feeding bouts at sea in order to keep up with the pup’s heavy milk demands.
Six days after giving birth the females are ready to mate again, for the following year’s cycle.
Sometimes the black pups cool off on the water’s edge but they aren’t waterproof yet so they can become hypothermic easily.
After about 4 months the pups undergo a moult and begin swimming in the rock pools on the edge of the island. Here they hone their hunting skills and start supplementing their milk diet with creatures like small rock lobster.
For stranded seabirds, whales or dolphins in the greater Gansbaai area, please call the RESCUE LINE at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) on 0725987117.
PS. Remember an African penguin alone on a beach is usually in need of assistance. Please do not disturb the bird but call the rescue line.
Website: www.dict.org.za.
