Update
MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The adult male elephant seal that was hauled out to a farm in the Garden Route two weeks ago has been named George by the Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team (Smart).
The organisation said a week after George’s arrival in the district, marine mammal specialist Dr Greg Hofmeyr of Bayworld in Gqeberha drove over to tag him, while Sr Stefani de Graaff of the Hartenbos Animal Hospital gave it a rabies vaccination.
George weighs nearly a tonne, but is a bit on the skinny side.
A Facebook post by Smart on Monday 27 July said George didn’t seem to be in the best condition, but Hartenbos Animal Hospital’s Dr Frans de Graaf and his team recently gave him some medication to strengthen his immune system, and now he is showing small signs of improvement.
“Since then, it seems he’s moving around more and becoming increasingly responsive,” said the organisation.
Smart will continue to monitor the seal, and as soon as the weather clears, the team will return to check on his progress.
“Let’s keep sending warm thoughts for his recovery and respect his space while the professionals do their work,” the organisation said.
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