The seal spotted on Otago Peninsula on Friday with a
G-string around its neck. It was helped by Doc staff. Photo
by David Johnson.
Lovers Leap, a G-string and a young seal all add up to
one of Department of Conservation marine ranger Jim Fyfe's
better work stories.
The department was told of a seal in strife near the Otago
Peninsula coastal arch Lovers Leap about 4.30pm last Friday
by Dunedin man David Johnson.
Mr Fyfe "happened to be out at Allans Beach" at the time, so
he and another Doc staff member "scrambled off down the bank"
to help the seal, which was found to have a G-string wrapped
around its neck.
The pair freed the seal of its underwear necklace about
5.30pm.
"We got it early enough. Quite possibly, given that it was
fabric, it would have rotted off, but you can never tell.
"We usually don't have a second chance when people see
things; if we leave it any length of time, the animal would
be gone," he said.
When it came to work stories, this was "one of the better
ones".
In an email to the Otago Daily Times, Mr Johnson described
Doc's response to the seal's dilemma as "brilliant" and
congratulated those involved "for their commitment and
dedication to our local fauna".
"Not only was it just on dark when Jim arrived at the beach,
but there was a hike of about an hour to get to the site and
a vertical drop of 230m, which meant a steep ascent over
rocks, clay and damp grass in the dark," he said.
He advised people discarding an item that "if it forms a
loop, cut it".
-ellie.constantine@odt.co.nz
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