Animal welfare activists in Greece saved an injured female baby seal that was unable to move and was stranded on Luggeri Beach of the island of Paros on Saturday.
Volunteers from the Paros Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) managed to rescue the seal and carry her to a veterinary clinic on the island, where first aid was administered to the marine mammal.
On Sunday, the seal was transported by ferry to an animal clinic in Athens, where she is now receiving specialized care. After recovery, the seal will be taken to Alonissos island, to be liberated back into the sea.
In an announcement PAWS thanked all the volunteers who helped in the rescue of the mammal, saying “A big thank you to all of you for helping her to find her normal life again in the Aegean sea waters!”
PAWS’ principal scope is to look after the stray companion animals of Paros Island, and to rescue them and provide medical treatment, food and proper care until good loving families are found to adopt them.
The Society helps to rescue and re-home abused and abandoned dogs as well. Their shelter on average has 45 dogs at any one time, and all need walking, feeding, cleaning and love on a daily basis.
Although saving a seal is strictly beyond the scope of PAWS, its volunteers do not make distinctions of animal species that are in real need.
In February of 2016, a rare feat in environmental protection took place when the Hellenic Society for the Study & Protection of the Mediterranean Monk Seal (MOm) announced that the seal had made an unexpected comeback in the Aegean, with its population recovering to the point where it was no longer considered “critically endangered.”
The monk seal dropped down one category on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, from “critically endangered” to “endangered.”
And the beloved seal is holding its own, thriving in the protected waters of the National Marine Park of Alonnisos and the Northern Sporades.
Killing of Alonnisos famous seal shocks Greece
However, Greek public opinion was shocked last summer by the killing of one of the most famous and beloved seals of the island, who was named ”Kostis.”
MOm said in an announcement on Facebook that ”Unfortunately, yet again, it is proven that human wickedness and stupidity have no limits!”.
”We have been informed today that the young monk seal “Kostis” (who in recent months had become the mascot of Alonnisos) has been deliberately killed. The innocent and unaware seal was executed at close range with a spear gun that had a large spear for exactly that purpose!” the announcement said.
”This news was received with great grief and outraged not only the people of MOm (who cared for several months for Kostis during his rehabilitation), but also all the sensitized residents and visitors of Alonnisos who had the good fortune to admire “Kostis” from close up.
“The perpetrator obviously won’t have the slightest bit of courage to come forward and admit his idiotic act,” MOm declared, adding that they will proceed with filing charges against the person responsible for the crime.
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