by Seal With Drinks Can Sᴛᴜᴄᴋ To Its Jaw Is Finally Free
A seal in ᴅɪsᴛʀᴇss spotted off the coast of Northern Ireland has appeared in Scotland with a can wedged in its jaw.
The seal was initially spotted earlier this month, prompting fears it would struggle to survive. The animal’s teeth had ᴘɪᴇʀᴄᴇᴅ the can, making it stick to its lower jaw. It is understood the seal would not have survived due to not being able to ʜᴜɴᴛ and ᴇᴀᴛ. Belfast Harbour police have been trying to help the animal who was at risk of ᴅʀᴏᴡɴɪɴɢ due to the can. The seal was apparently spotted several times over the past week but nobody could do anything to help. Finally, officers managed to free it from the can after finding it on the River Clyde earlier this week. It was first spotted earlier this month with the Red Bull can sᴛᴜᴄᴋ on its jaw, off the coast of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Harbor police attempted to help the distressed animal before it made off into the water and hadn’t been spotted since. It was reported to have “seemed to be in distress,” and therefore a search went underway to help locate it.
It was police officers from the Ministry of Defence who eventually discovered the animal resting on a storm drain. A spokesperson told the BBC: “MOD Police Clyde Marine Unit officers freed this animal in ᴅɪsᴛʀᴇss and would urge people to take extra care in how they dispose of their rubbish near any waterway.” “The seal must have been in ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛ at this point as it attempted to back off and almost fell into the storm drain. “Fortunately, I was able to quickly grab the seal and lift it back to safety, while PC Kerr held its head and freed the can from its jaw. Luckily the can then came free.
“I checked the seal over and could see no other ɪɴᴊᴜʀɪᴇs from the entanglement, before it turned from us and slid back into the water and quickly swam away, much to our happiness and relief.”Since the ʀᴇsᴄᴜᴇ last weekend, MDP officers said they have been informed that the seal was previously spotted several times off the coast of Northern Ireland more than a week ago, with the tin wedged in its jaw.
