CNN —Dead seals are washing up along beaches in South Africa’s port city of Cape Town, a coastal management official told CNN Friday, amid an outbreak of rabies in the marine animals.
Cape Town, home to dozens of beaches and a coastline extending over 300 kilometers (186 miles), harbors thousands of Cape fur seals, a seal species native to southern Africa.
He urged calm however, saying it is normal to find carcasses of Cape fur seals along the shoreline.
While “lots” of dead seals have washed ashore this week, many of them have died naturally, he said.
Oelofse said there was yet to be a seal-to-human transmission of rabies in Cape Town and the city’s authorities were working to prevent it.
Persons:
”, Gregg Oelofse, Oelofse
Organizations:
CNN, ” Authorities, World Health Organization
Locations:
South Africa’s, Cape Town, Svalbard, Norway, Africa, South Africa, Western