An elephant seal, weighing one ton, caused a commotion in a small Chilean town. It took many townspeople, police, and members of the Chilean Navy to help herd the aquatic mammal back to the sea. It was not easy to get the animal to the shore.
For many who have not experienced something that unusual, helping herd the enormous beast was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Hard to believe that it took a small army to get the magnificent animal back to its home environment.
In Puerto Cisnes, Chile, the residential area got roused by a rare visit. A large seal made its way into the town, 10 blocks from the sea. An animal that huge will not be easily coaxed to make its way back on its own. Many of the residents, police, and Navy had to join hands in cordoning a route for the animal to follow out, reported the Sun.
The huge creature got visibly alarmed when the people banded together to hold up a tarpaulin sheet, to make the seal go where they wanted and nowhere else. Cars were blocking the roads with plastic sheets that were effectively trailblazing a path for the animal to follow, cited News.
Seals are aquatic animals, so a few good citizens were hydrating the very confused beast. Keeping its skin wet was just as important as helping in herding it.
Eventually, the elephant seal, the size and weight of a small car, got back to the shore again. The Chilean town, which has a population of 2,500, was in lockdown due to the pandemic.
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Not the usual Monday
According to Manuel Novoa, who works at the local station Radio Autentica FM, and who documented the elephant seal's rescue, the entire Chilean town got together to get the animal back to the water.
Novoa did a play by play commentary on the rescue, noted Knowledia.
At one point, he encouraged the people holding on to the tarp to keep the seal moving. He told them that the shore was only a few feet away.
It took a while for everyone to move the animal back to the sea, and he gave a glowing appreciation to those working to help the enormous animal.
The effort that the animal spent in pulling its massive weight for 10 blocks was not easy. It must have gotten tired from it too. One canine joined the troop of human helpers, and its barks encouraged the animal as well. As it got closer to the shore, it belly-flopped faster on the tarmac.
When the vast beast got into the water in between the fishing boats, the human troop was happy that the seal got back unharmed, as mentioned in an article on the Sun UK.
One unidentified Navy representative told Novoa that everyone's effort paid off, and the animal was safe in the sea.
He added that they would try to be on the lookout to ensure their friendly elephant seal does not make its way back into the Chilean town. He was worried that it might get hurt next time.
It was unusual that it went ashore.
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