Cape Cod seals: New signs warn beachgoers to stay 150 feet away from seals
Beachgoers will spot new signs across Cape Cod beaches this Memorial Day weekend and summer, as new seal awareness signs warn people to stay at least 150 feet away from the wild semi-aquatic animals.
More than 100 seal signs are now appearing at beaches across the region after the International Fund for Animal Welfare distributed the signs to 14 towns and the Cape Cod National Seashore.
The sign’s primary message is to keep at least 150 feet away from seals, with the slogan, “Be kind, keep distance in mind.”
In most cases, a seal laying on the beach is displaying completely normal behavior, and a person approaching them can “stress them out,” said IFAW animal rescue officer Misty Niemeyer. Seals are semi-aquatic animals and do not need to be wet.
“When people see a seal by itself, they might think something is wrong with it, but they’re usually resting on the beach to warm themselves up or to take a break,” she said.
“They might look cute, and people are attracted by that, but they are wild animals,” Niemeyer added. “We want to allow them to be wild, and to co-exist with them and not disturb them.”
Now is the busy season for harbor seal pups, just as beachgoers flock to the Cape and other New England beaches.
“We see young seals on their own as Cape beaches start to get incredibly busy,” Niemeyer said.
The federally mandated Marine Mammal Protection Act recommendation to stay 150 feet away from seals is for the safety of the animals, humans and their dogs.
The new signs tell people to keep their dogs leashed.
“There’s a chance for disease transfer, and that’s not a situation anyone wants to get into,” Niemeyer said.
The idea for the signs came through a series of workshops the International Fund for Animal Welfare attended alongside Cape Cod National Seashore staff, regional network members and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The signs urge people to report live or dead seals, dolphins and whales to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, whose international operations center is located in Yarmouth Port. IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team is available seven days a week to respond to these reports.
People should call the IFAW Marine Mammal Rescue hotline at 508-743-9548. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org/campaigns/strandings.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/34rNm4v
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