A woman who removed a distressed seal pup from a Vancouver Island park earlier this year in an attempt to save its life has been fined.
The woman was hiking in Pacific Rim National Park on Sept. 14 when she found the injured seal, which was missing an eye and appeared near-dead.
She handed the animal over the Vancouver Aquarium, but, despite veterinarians’ efforts, the seal died a few days later.
Aquarium staff nicknamed it “Fermium.”
The incident sparked a Parks Canada investigation that resulted in the woman being ticketed $230.
Removing wildlife from national parks, even with good intentions, is a violation of the Canada National Parks Act and can net fines in the thousands of dollars.
If park users see an animal in distress, they are encouraged to keep their distance and contact Parks Canada to follow-up.
They can also contact the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.
