Cape Town - With 24 confirmed cases of rabies in Cape fur seals, beachgoers have been warned to maintain their distance from the wild animals.
The Hout Bay Seal and Rescue Centre fuelled this advice, saying there was an increased risk to humans who come in contact with the seals.
Centre CEO, Kim Krynauw, said people should stay at least 30 metres away from any seal on land.
She said the wild animals can become aggressive for various reasons, including starvation due to dwindling food sources.
“Keep your dogs on their leads at all times when on the beach.
“If you are in the water, and you see seals, please get out of the water and move to another beach.
“This might not be convenient, but to protect yourself from being bitten is the best option.”
The Agricultural Research Council's Onderstepoort Veterinary Research first confirmed positive rabies cases in seals in Melkbosstrand last year.
Most recently, researchers at the University of Pretoria detected rabies in seals in Strand and Muizenberg in May.
The City of Cape Town in partnership with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, and the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation and Sea Search, noted that rabies appears to be well-established in the Cape fur seal population and is unlikely to be eradicable and should be considered endemic.
Symptoms of rabies can include sudden changes in behaviour, paralysis, unusual vocalisations, fear of water, and foaming at the mouth, as well as aggressive behaviour towards objects like rocks or trees.
“Again, only a trained person can tell if a seal might have rabies, so please stay away,” Krynauw said.
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness advised residents and visitors to exercise caution when enjoying the coastline.
The department noted that samples collected from seals since 2021 by Sea Search are currently being analysed to assess the timeline and scope of the rabies outbreak.
Dwayne Evans, spokesperson for the department, confirmed yesterday that the “warning previously issued by the Department of Health and Wellness is still valid”.
Belinda Abraham, spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, said: “We haven't seen any rise in violent behaviour towards seals since the announcement that rabies is now endemic in our seal population.”
Recently, a juvenile seal was reportedly attacked by humans at Muizenberg Beach.
However, according to Abraham, post-mortem findings do not support the claims.
The cause of death remains unclear, and tissue samples have been sent to the state veterinarian for rabies testing to determine if the animal was rabid.