[WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE AHEAD]
Cape Town - Shock and horror were the reactions elicited after four men were caught viciously stoning a trapped Cape fur seal on Monwabisi Beach on Sunday evening – after an apparent request from a traditional healer to kill the animal for R3 000.
The young men have since been arrested and charged.
They appeared in Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Monday where they had their bail set at R1 000 each.
Animal cruelty charges were laid as well as charges of hunting a protected species without a permit.
The case was postponed to February 15 for further investigation and the matter was escalated to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) due to the severe nature of the incident.
Cape of Good Hope SPCA chief inspector Jaco Pieterse said: “The seal was humanely euthanised due to the severity of injuries it sustained in the stoning. The attending veterinarian reported that the seal had suffered severe facial and skull fractures, was bleeding profusely from the mouth, had one of its eyes crushed and that most of its teeth had been completely broken off in its mouth.”
Western Cape NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed that Luxoli Godana, 26, Nyameko Titi, 18, Nkosinathi Ndzendevu, 19, and Sibusiso Zamani, 22, appeared in the court yesterday.
Pieterse said this was the first instance of this kind in three years with a live seal.
The SPCA was aware of instances whereby body parts of dead seals that washed out of the ocean were removed for medicinal purposes but had not encountered a case where a live seal was abused in this way for years.
Pieterse said they were told traditional healers used the body parts of dead seals for medicinal purposes but was not certain for what exactly.
He said no animal deserved to suffer for any reason whatsoever and would ensure that those responsible for this crime would face the full might of the law.
In December, another seal made headlines when motorists along Jakes Gerwel Drive saw a Cape fur seal crossing the busy intersection in Athlone opposite the Vangate Mall. People spent days wondering how the seal got so far from the ocean.
Kim Krynauw, operations director at the Hout Bay Seal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (HBSRC), said they reported similar incidents to various authorities but did not receive feedback.
“We have had reports from our informants on the ground that sangomas are giving money to people to kill seals and otters to use their body parts for various muthi.
“The talk about that seal (found crossing Jakes Gerwel Drive on December 21) was that it had actually been captured for this purpose, to be sold off to a sangoma and then the seal had escaped,” she said.
“These incidents are happening, little seal pups are being killed, their heads are being removed, they are being skinned.
“We see it all the time, we had an incident in November where 12 seal pups were found on Noordhoek beach, half of which were decapitated. Its happening on a large scale to seals and otters,” Krynauw said.
HBSRC marketing and PR director Dune Spence-Ross said they saw various cases of seals being killed for many different reasons.
“Seals are being mutilated, skinned, decapitated, gaffed, shot, etc, all of which we have reported to the Department of Environmental Affairs but as of yet we are not certain if any protocols have been put into place to protect seals from this on going cruelty.”
The City has also condemned the deadly attack on the seal.
Deputy mayor and spatial planning and environment mayco member Eddie Andrews said: “This is one of the most brutal attacks on our wildlife in recent times. One cannot fathom the pain and stress the seal had to endure while this was happening.
“I am shocked and horrified and call on the public to please keep on notifying us when they see animals being attacked, harmed or in distress.”