Alberta Woman fined $230 for attempted seal rescue

An Alberta woman who tried to rescue a seal pup she discovered in distress on Vancouver Island earlier this year has been fined $230 for her actions.

The woman was hiking on the West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim National Park on Sept. 14 when she came across a baby seal that was beached.

She handed the animal over the Vancouver Aquarium, but, despite veterinarians’ efforts, the seal died a few days later.

Aquarium staff nicknamed it “Fermium.”

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.

Agencies/Canadajournal