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Residents and visitors to Auckland's west coast have been told to leave young seals alone even if they appear to be in trouble.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) said many young New Zealand fur seals had been turning up on Auckland's west coast beaches and in the Manukau Harbour.
DOC had also been getting a lot of calls from people saying the young seals were crying, unhappy or lost but in most cases they were healthy and best left undisturbed.
"These newly weaned juvenile seals have left their mothers and are learning to fish and fend for themselves. They come ashore to rest and usually don't need our help," said DOC biodiversity ranger, Karl McLeod.
He said the weepy eyes were a natural mechanism to protect the eyes and the seal was generally fine.
Seals should be given a wide berth and people should keep their dogs away. It is best to keep at least five metres away and not get between the seal and the sea.
Seals carried serious diseases such as salmonella and tuberculosis that could be transferred to people and were capable of giving a nasty bite when threatened, he said.
- NZPA
