Dr. Bruce Mate, marine mammal expert at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center, is bracing himself for the annual upsurge in phone calls about apparently stranded seal pups. It's perfectly normal for mother seals to leave their offspring on the beach while they're off foraging for food, Mate explained. The pups are too weak to swim long distances, and the mothers have uncanny instincts for relocating the spots where they left their young.
Problems arise when humans interfere by touching the pup or trying to drag it back into the water.
Their intentions may be good, but their actions may sentence the young animal to death. When a seal pup is moved, it is almost impossible to reunite it with its mother, said Mate. The pups are difficult to feed and rarely survive in captivity, he added. Approaching baby seals can also be dangerous to people, Mate said. Seal bites can be painful and may cause infection in people and pets.