On January 5, 2019, Marystown RCMP received a call from the general public reporting a seal had made its way from the water and was near the front doors of the Burin Peninsula Hospital. Police attended and safely removed the seal and returned it to a nearby open area of water.
The following morning Burin Peninsula RCMP received another call reporting the seal was back on the roadway and into the community of Burin Bay Arm. Officers attended and safely secured the seal in the back of the police vehicle truck. With assistance from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the seal was safely removed from the area and released at a more isolated area on the peninsula, away from any community area.
The RCMP and DFO remind the general public that it is illegal to disturb marine mammals and although animals of the wild may appear to be friendly in nature, it is very dangerous to approach or attempt to capture animals without proper equipment.