A young harbour seal found suffering from a gunshot wound to the face may lose complete eyesight in one of her eyes, according to veterinarians at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.
The pup, who is believed to be less than one year old, was found on Feb. 18 on Kitsilano beach in Vancouver. Officials at the centre said she was emaciated and lethargic, with 23 birdshot pellets embedded in her face. It鈥檚 believed she was shot weeks prior to being found.
Dr. Martin Haulena, the aquarium鈥檚 head veterinarian, said in a news release Tuesday the seal, who has been named Jessica Seal, is the fifth animal to be found badly injured by gunfire in recent years.
WATCH:
READ MORE:
Last month, aquarium veterinarians travelled to Washington State to perform surgery on a pregnant seal shot in the head during a fishing derby.
On Friday, veterinary specialists took a thorough look at Jessica Seal鈥檚 injuries to determine how much vision she has left and to remove some of her damaged teeth. Birdshot pellets, usually used in shotguns, are made of either steel or lead inside a shell and scatter outwards when shot.
https://twitter.com/ashwadhwani/status/1103026877545865216
鈥淲e have no way of knowing who did this,鈥� said Haulena. 鈥淚 can tell you that she鈥檚 been suffering for several weeks, and we don鈥檛 know if she鈥檚 going to recover her eyesight enough to be released.鈥�
Haulena said he鈥檚 concerned these types of injuries may become more common if a campaign by fishers to cull seals and sea lions gains ground. The Richmond-based Pacific Balance Pinniped Society has been pressing Fisheries and Oceans Canada to consider a managed Indigenous fishery for seals and sea lions.
READ MORE:
WATCH:
鈥淭he person who did this would have known they wouldn鈥檛 kill her with birdshot. It was intended to hurt her, and it did,鈥� Haulena said.
鈥淭he conflict on the water between humans and seals is not new 鈥� they want some of the same fish. I do worry people now feel more comfortable taking aim because they鈥檝e been hearing seals are the bad guys, and they鈥檙e not.鈥�
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
Like us on and follow us on .
