The baby was a long way from home but here’s hoping after being returned to the ocean, it made it back to his family. Source: Ty Kaden.
A baby seal was discovered far from home after a SA wheat farmer near Cowell found it more than 3km from the sea.
According to experts, the wandering mammal appears to be an 18-month-old long-nose fur seal, a species commonly found around South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
“Quite often at this time of year they do wash up and lose their way,” said Aaron Machado from the Australian Marine Wildlife Research Rescue Organisation.
Speaking to the ABC Ty Kaden said that he received a call from his neighbour, who said that a baby seal was in their driveway, so he headed over to check out the pup.
“I thought he was just pulling my leg to start off with,” he said.
“There was a tiny little three-foot baby seal, on the edge of the wheat crop.
“I’ve never seen them up around this area.”
According to Mr Kayden it looked like it had “been lost for while” citing how “skinny” it appeared but took swift action to ensure it got back to its ocean home.
“We put a towel over it and put it in a plastic box in the ute.
“Probably around three kilometres down the beach through scrub, we let it go on the beach.
“Lucky it was high tide, it shuffled off into the water.
“Hopefully, it’s found some fish. Hopefully, it survives.”
Speaking to The Morning Show, Mr Kayden hopes that the randomness of the situation represents a good omen.
“We’ve had a lot of rain and everything is looking really good around here, and then this seal turns up in this wheat crop, and I’m not entirely sure if that’s a good sign or a bad sign, but hopefully it means that more rain is on the way.”
Mr Machado said that it’s important people call wildlife rescue if they come across animals such as these.
