💨 Abstract

A Cape Town surfer, Nick Woodward, had a harrowing encounter with what he believes was a rabid Cape fur seal at Big Bay. The seal attacked him while he was surfing, leading to a five-minute struggle. Woodward sustained puncture wounds and required medical attention and rabies vaccinations. He described the seal as unusually aggressive, unlike any he had previously encountered. The incident highlights the increasing number of seal attacks along the Cape coast, with rabies now endemic in Cape fur seals.

Courtesy: Nick Pawson