In a devastating end to one of natures miracles, an elephant seal pup born on the Nahoon Point Nature Reserve was clubbed to death two days later.
Green Ripple founder and wildlife conservationist Div de Villier’s shared the story online, with many commenting in shock and anger.
De Villers wrote that a female southern elephant seal came shore Near Eastern Beach on Wednesday, and gave birth to the pup on Thursday, August 29.
“The first ever recording of such an event on the East London coast,” de Villers wrote.
What a tragic ending
“I checked on how they were doing with Kevin and Mary Cole of the East London Museum on Saturday morning the 31st. The pup had fallen off the little wall but was reunited with it's mother. Kevin later called me to say it had been clubbed to death in the afternoon. What a tragic ending. It shows once again the importance of improving management and security of the Nahoon Point Nature Reserve.”
Not for sensitive viewers,the Nahoon Point Nature Reserve shared a video over Facebook of images taken of the mother and pup, a slideshow of the pair from birth which blends into images of the youngsters bloodied body tied to a rock.
This is a developing story.
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