For the second time in two weeks, a baby seal has been seen in the Montreal area, this time near Laval.
Samia, a Laval resident, saw the small marine mammal on Monday on the banks of the Mille Îles River. Footage she shared on social media shows him lying on a rock, very close to the water.
“We wanted to call the authorities concerned, but he got back into the water. I hope he will get out of it, ”wrote Samia.
photo provided by samia de laval
On June 19, a fisherman had made an identical observation in Longueuil which had been taken care of the same evening by wildlife officers.
Less rare than you think
The presence of the baby seal in Laval was nevertheless reported to the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (RQUMM).
Travel to the metropolitan area is unusual in the behavior of harbor seals like this, underlines the group, which nevertheless receives several reports of this kind each year.
“It happens more often than you think,” explains Patrick Weldon, intervention manager.
The months of May and June are in fact particularly conducive to this type of observation since it is the birth period for harbor seals.
According to Mr. Weldon, harbor seals are “very good in fresh water” and can easily survive near Montreal.
“It will depend on his ability to eat. This is what determines his state of health.
You have to leave him alone
The RQUMM recommends that anyone who sees a young harbor seal keep a distance of at least 50 meters and even leave the area to let the mother pick up her pup.
The group also asks not to feed the seal and reminds that it is illegal to handle it or interact with it in any way.
Mr. Weldon argues that the respect of these instructions by humans can greatly influence the survival of the animal.
“The challenge in situations like this is to remind people to adopt good cohabitation practices. They should not be disturbed to cause them as little stress as possible.
