‘Freddie’, the popular Thames seal was mauled by a dog this past weekend
For those of you that have never heard of Freddie Mercury before (the seal, not the singer) he was a male seal that often appeared along the banks of the Thames and had inspired a cult following.
Often spotted near Hammersmith Bridge, Freddie regularly entertained passers-by and was known for his playful personality. Much like the real Freddie Mercury, he had a penchant for performing. He’d even been featured on This Morning:
However, on Sunday, came the heartbreaking news that Freddie had suffered severe injuries from a dog attack. According to witness, Runa Bousquet, a dog-walker was “a good 800 metres away” but the terrier simply bolted for the poor seal.
After having clamped its jaws down on the sun-bathing seal, two members of the public (one being the dog’s owner) desperately tried to free Freddie from its grip and pull the dog away.
Understandably, she said that noted that Freddie “was very distressed, twisting and turning its flippers”. As a result of the attack, Freddie suffered ferocious “bites to one of his flippers, a broken bone, as well as dislocation and damage to his joints, ligaments and nerves”.
The situation was somewhat resolved, with both the seal and two members of the public having to be treated for injuries. Freddie was rescued by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and taken to South Essex Wildlife Hospital.
Upon administering pain relief and examining the extent of his injuries, his condition was deemed “extremely poor” and given it was “impossible to treat and return him [safely] to the wild”.
With an infection believed to be spreading, a decision had to be made and given that “seals do not take anaesthetic well as they have a dive reflex and don’t breath”, it was decided the best thing to do would be to put him out of his misery.
They said on their Facebook page, “At this stage we believe the only ethical and fair option we have is to end his suffering.” They also went on to urge people “to not go near seals” and reminded them to “always, keep dogs on leads and under control.”
This is a deeply saddening story, there are no two ways about it. Accidents happen, we know that, but we can only urge people to heed the advice South Essex Hospital recommended.
Nevertheless, let’s remember Freddie in the best way possible: as the fun-loving animal he was, who shared his time between lounging around and entertaining people as they walked past.
Oh no… Freddie Mercury the seal (not sure it needed anthropomorphising) has died after being attacked by a dog. Our meeting was brief, but the poor creature made a lasting impression. 🦭#FreddieMercury #Seal #Barnes pic.twitter.com/CrhRxHyPXa
— David Friend (@David_Friend01) March 22, 2021
