Six seals of Akrotiri, mammals that live in the waters of southern Africa, “stabbed” mysteriously at sea and washed up on a beach, the Cape Town municipality announced, calling it a “reminder of the impact of human activity on wildlife”.

“Six Cape seals were stabbed at sea and washed up on Long Beach, Comité. They probably suffocated due to their injuries,” the municipality said, without giving any details about the perpetrators.

Authorities were told on Wednesday that the six mammals, three male and three female seals, were washed ashore with “unusual injuries”. X-rays and an autopsy revealed that someone had stabbed them, most likely in the sea. The municipality appealed to anyone who knows something to report it to the authorities, so that it can be established what exactly happened.

Municipal authorities also denounced “cruelty” to the animals and promised that those responsible would be identified and held accountable.

Akrotiri seals weigh around 200-300 kg and reach a length of 2 meters. They live in colonies and rarely stray from the coasts. As they consume large quantities of fish for food, they are targeted by fishermen who sometimes poach them to reduce their numbers.

In January, a baby seal bit two bathers on a Cape Town beach. According to the National Marine Rescue Society, similar incidents have occurred on other beaches in recent months.