Elephant seal reportedly fleeing off-leash dogs rescued from side of Saanich highway
A wayward elephant seal that was spotted off the side of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saanich was safely relocated by police and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) on Monday.
Saanich police say they received a report of the seal lying in an embankment on the side of the highway near Burnside Road West just after 1 p.m.
Police passed the information on to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and officers with Saanich police and the DFO met at the side of the highway.
The groups then worked together to move the moulting elephant seal to the nearby Colquitz Creek.
"The poor thing was super tired," said Mandy Ludlow, a DFO officer and detachment commander for southern Vancouver Island.
Ludlow says it was a difficult operation escorting the approximately 250 to 285 pound seal back to the waters of Colquitz Creek.
The fishery officer says the seal was spooked from its moulting spot near the creek by off-leash dogs and humans.
"It hauled out of Colquitz Creek, according to witnesses, because people and off-leash dogs were coming up to it, which triggers a response to the animal to get the heck out of there," she said.
"So the poor thing hauled across the long flat area, across a bank and stumps, across a walking trail, and then across another bank and another walking trail – and it was accosted by dogs again," said Ludlow.
The fishery officer estimates that the DFO and Saanich police officers spent about three hours trying to coax the seal back along the path it came from, and that dogs continued to pester the marine mammal.
"During that time there were several off-leash dogs that came and disturbed it," she said.
"I was pretty disappointed. One owner didn't even have a leash and armed officers were trying to tell the owner to get it under control, and it really wasn't," she added.
Ludlow says she'll be following up with the District of Saanich about animal control in the area, since other wildlife, such as migratory birds, also take sanctuary in the region.
She urges people to respect wildlife and to keep their pets under control.
Elephant seals usually spend one month each year coming on shore to moult.
Moulting involves shedding all of the seal's fur and underlying layer of skin, according to the DFO website.
During this time, the seals can look sickly and lose up to 25 per cent of their body weight. However, the process is normal, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
People who see a moulting elephant seal should keep their distance and not bother the animal.
"It may look slow and harmless, but [the seal] is capable of moving very quickly and could be dangerous if it feels threatened," reads the DFO website.
"If you see an animal being harassed or injured or an injured or sick animal exhibiting highly unusual behaviour, please call DFO’s Observe, Record and Report 24-hour hotline at 1-800-465-4336."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.