Dutch police have rescued a seal that became stranded away from the sea in a town located 15 kilometres from the coast. The animal was checked over and then safely returned to the sea.
The seal was first spotted near a dyke near the Nauernasche Vaart canal in Assendelft, between Beverwijk and Zaandam on December 3. The police were then contacted about the seal and tried to rescue the stranded animal.
The police loaded the seal onto an animal ambulance, and contacted the seal rescue centre in Pieterburen, near Groningen. Following a consultation with experts, the police were given the all-clear to return the seal to the sea.
“We know our work covers a lot of different activities, but we never expected to encounter a seal in the course of our duties,” a spokesman for the Zaanstreek police force said in a post on Facebook.
Though the police did not expect to have to attend such a call-out, it might not be the last one they head to. Residents say that they have spotted seals in the area before, away from the sea. According to NH Nieuws, seals have been spotted in the Purmerringvaart in Purmerend and in the Markermeer as well.