Two-Ton Elephant Seal Wanders, Sedated, Released in Gordon's Bay South Africa

A two-ton elephant seal wandered into the streets of Gordon's Bay, a coastal town near Cape Town, surprising residents who captured the unusual sight on video. The seal, a young male, was seen resting on cars and navigating sidewalks, prompting concerns from animal welfare officials over its exhaustion and dehydration risk due to being far from the ocean. Local police and security first attempted to contain the seal using patrol cars, but it managed to evade capture and continued roaming near a shopping mall. Marine wildlife experts and a city veterinarian eventually sedated the seal and transported it safely back to its natural habitat. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA shared footage of the seal's return to the sea, delighting social media audiences with the story. This rare urban encounter highlighted both the community's curiosity and the coordinated rescue effort to ensure the seal's well-being.