Dead seal on road in Tauranga

A seal was killed on Takitimu Dr. Photo / Andrew Warner

Warning: Graphic image below.

A dead seal has been found on Takitimu Dr in Tauranga today.

The small mammal was found in the middle of the road on Takitimu Dr and appeared to have been run over.

Nathan Pettigrew, who holds a Department of Conservation (DoC) marine mammal permit for orca, whales and seals and volunteers his time to ensure they are kept safe, said the numbers of seals arriving in Tauranga was slowly increasing.

"We are seeing more of them, and therefore more of them in built up, busy areas.

"Seals, unlike some of our pets, can't evaluate whether an area is dangerous or not," he said.

Pettigrew referred to a seal found in Judea's industrial area last year and a young seal he saw near Chapel St last week "so it is definitely an area that they are no strangers to".

It was a grisly sight on Takitimu Dr. Photo / Andrew Warner

He said people needed to keep an eye out for seals coming in to rest in unusual places, and contact the Department of Conservation if they find a seal, rather than try to move it on themselves.

Seals can be fast and aggressive with a nasty bite.

The Department of Conservation can be reached on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) for seal sightings where a seal could be in danger.