WATCH: Elephant seal released back to safety after nearly 9-hour rescue mission
News of the elephant seal, who made his way into a residential area in Sir Lowry's Pass Road went viral online... especially because of his calm, cute, and 'chonky' demeanour.
CapeTalk's Clarence Ford speaks to Primedia's Digital Content Editor Barbara Friedman about trending online stories.
Listen below:
On Tuesday 27 May at around 7am, the Cape of Good Hope responded to a call involving an unexpected and seemingly sleepy visitor... an elephant seal weighing almost a ton, spotted roaming the streets of a residential area in Sir Lowry's Pass Road.
RELATED: WATCH: Elephant seal holds up traffic in Gordon's Bay
Locals in the area were thrilled to congregate for the spectacle of this seal, that reportedly wandered through their neighbourhood overnight - causing excitement, laughter, and lots of online chatter.
Traffic in the area also came to a standstill as the elephant seal took a minute to chill around the neighbourhood.
Authorities closed off Sir Lowry’s Pass Road to keep residents and the animal safe, while teams figured out a rescue plan to get it back to safety.
Meanwhile, news of the seal’s adventures went viral online... especially because of his calm, cute, and 'chonky' demeanour.
What followed was a nearly nine-hour rescue mission, which involved a well-coordinated effort across multiple agencies to ensure the sub-adult male’s safety and return to a suitable coastal environment.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA reports that the elephant seal was safely sedated by a professional wildlife veterinarian and transported in a trailer back to Kogel Bay, where his recovery from sedation was monitored before the seal waddled back into the ocean and rescue teams left the site.
"While the seal appeared to be unharmed, his urban detour posed risks—both to himself and to motorists. With the assistance of the Law Enforcement, Traffic Services, SAPS, Gordon’s Bay Security and Gordon’s Bay Medical Ambulance Services, the area was secured and traffic redirected while the SPCA, City of Cape Town’s Coastal Management and Marine Unit, SANParks, Two Oceans Aquarium, Shark Spotters and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) stepped in," the Cape of Good Hope SPCA reported on their website.
“It truly takes a village. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who stepped up today—for their professionalism, their compassion, and their quick response to an animal in distress.”
- Belinda Abraham, Communications Manager - Cape of Good Hope SPCA
"Chonky boy is my name for him... and it certainly took a village to get him back home... a wonderful job!"
- Barbara Friedman, Digital Content Editor - Primedia
Watch the elephant seal's safe return home...
Should you encounter wildlife in urban spaces, you are reminded not to approach, feed, or attempt to assist the animals - contact the Cape of Good Hope SPCA on: 021 700 4158/9 - teams are available 24/7.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.