AN INJURED leopard seal found on Fraser Island has been put down by authorities.
The seal was found by Rainbow Beach Towing’s Dave Elder about 5km south of Eurong on Tuesday afternoon. At first he didn’t know what was on the beach. “What the hell is that?” Mr Elder said.
“It was a real shock to see a seal this far north.” Leopard seals normally live in the Antarctic. On closer inspection, Mr Elder saw the seal was injured.
It had large gashes near its tail. Mr Elder wasn’t sure if the injury was from propeller strike or shark attack.
He called Queensland Parks and Wildlife who then contacted Sea World who sent a vet to investigate.
A Sea World spokesman said the seal had been attacked by a shark.
The injuries were that severe they decided to euthanise the animal.
A spokesman from QPWS said it was unusual for a leopard seal to beach on Fraser Island.
They think it is possible it is the same seal that has been spotted off the Sunshine Coast recently.
It is not the same seal that was spotted on houseboats in Tin Can Bay last year.
With complimnts from : http://www.tweeddailynews.com.au/news
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.