If you need another reason to clean up after yourself after trashing the beach, then look no further than Mrs. Frisbee, a female Atlantic gray seal from Horsey Beach in north Norfolk.
Animal experts with Friends of Horsey Seals rescued her last week after she sustained life-threatening injuries caused by plastic litter – a toy Frisbee that probably wandered into the ocean when the wind grabbed ahold of it.
Image Credit: Friends of Horsey Seals
Animal experts purportedly spotted the animal several times in the past but had issues capturing her. The group of seals she hung out with would get spooked by the team and run away before they could get anywhere close enough to grab her.
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They had their opportunity to make right with Mrs. Frisbee once more after spotting her again last Thursday. Their latest attempt to capture the seal was successful, but sadly, that was only the case because her health was deteriorating from the injuries sustained by the toy.
The extent of the injuries paint a picture of how the Frisbee got stuck around the seal’s neck at a younger age; perhaps as early as six months ago. In what could only be described as a long and agonizing situation, her neck became thicker with age, and the Frisbee choked and cut into it over time.
Mrs. Frisbee soon underwent a procedure to have the toy removed from her neck at the RSPCA hospital. The operation was successful, but it left behind some chilling injuries that can’t be unseen.
Image Credit: RSPCA
All around her neck were deep cut wounds that underscore just how tight the Frisbee clenched onto her. There was absolutely no way that she could have removed the Frisbee herself, so it was fortunate that animal experts grabbed her and took care of it for her.
“She's a lot better than she was. She is alive and eating her fish,” said RSPCA hospital manager Alison Charles. “We managed to get the item off, but her neck is horrendous, I've never seen anything like it. It'll take months for it to heal.”
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Mrs. Frisbee is in good care right now and won’t be returned to the wild until her injuries heal fully.
Although she’s making a recovery, the Friends of Horsey Seals warn of other reports about seals impacted by litter. They urge humankind to pick up after themselves while at the beach to prevent these unfortunate events from ever happening in the first place.
Source: Friends of Horsey Seals via BBC