10/31/2005
Seal Bites Off Woman's Nose
Left: Cape fur seals(Johannesburg, SA) A seal bit off a South African woman's nose after she attempted to help it back into the sea,said a government official.
Elsie van Tonder, 49, will undergo surgery this week after being bitten Saturday on a beach near the city of George, located east of Cape Town.
"The seal had been lying in the same spot since Friday, so the lady and a few other people were trying to take it back to the water," said Herman Oosthuizen, a government marine biologist. "This ditz stuck her face right down by the seal's to 'give it a little smooch,' and POW! off comes the nose."
Cape fur seals are fairly common on South African shores and many have become acclimated to humans, but they can be dangerous and sometimes attack people who venture too close, said Oosthuizen.
"This idiot, though, takes the cake," he said. "First she tried to dress the animal up in a bonnet, and then she attempted to give it a manicure. I don't blame the seal for trying to rip off her face."
# posted by Subcomandante Bob : 5:26 PM
