A southern fur seal was resting on the beach in Rio de Janeiro. The appearance of the animal at this time of year is rare in these parts of Brazil – they are usually more frequent visitors for winter, not early summer. The presence of the mammal aroused considerable interest among beachgoers.
The southern fur seal was spotted by swimmers on Wednesday morning. The animal rolled in the sand on the popular Ipanema beach among tourists. Beachgoers observed the mammal from a safe distance and called officers of the Maritime Rescue Group to the scene.
Summer trip
The area around the animal was cordoned off, and biologists and veterinarians arrived at the scene. As far as they could tell, it was a fairly young male, with no visible injuries, but quite tired. Kotik most likely arrived near Rio de Janeiro along with the Antarctic sea current.
Biologist Izar Aximof said in an interview with G1 Globo that seeing a representative of this species in December, when summer begins in Brazil, is rare.
– These animals are usually seen in the middle of the year, when Antarctic currents are the most intense – he explained.
The animal charmed locals and tourists, and biologists named it Joca. Local media reported that the kitten remained on the beach until Friday morning, then swam away from the Rio area.
Main photo source: ENEX