Story at a glance
- The seal had become a local celebrity after taking up residence near the Hammersmith Bridge in London and was named after the late Queen singer for his entertaining antics.
- On Sunday, Freddie was attacked by a dog and suffered a broken bone, a dislocated flipper and damage to joints, ligaments and nerves.
- The owner of the dog said she was heartbroken over the attack and apologized.
A popular seal pup dubbed Freddie Mercury who entertained Londoners near the River Thames for weeks has died after being mauled by a dog on the banks of the river.
The BBC reports the seal had become somewhat of a local celebrity after taking up residence near the Hammersmith Bridge in Barnes, and he was named after the late Queen singer for his entertaining antics.
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But on Sunday, Freddie was attacked by a dog and suffered a broken bone, a dislocated flipper and damage to joints, ligaments and nerves. A photographer who was taking pictures of Freddie when the attack occurred captured pictures of the dog viciously biting the animal who was seen bleeding out.
It took one thoughtless dog owner! ‘Freddie Mercury’ the seal pup had brought much-needed joy and smiles to the community in Barnes, South West London since his arrival last month. He’d been attacked already but wanted to stay. Good people tried to save him. R.I.P Freddie https://t.co/wntQGOy2KG pic.twitter.com/2lUBv0Vsi3
— The Animal Team (@The_Animal_Team) March 23, 2021
The dog’s owner, Rebecca Sabben-Clare, and others nearby, including a vet, rushed to pry the dog’s jaws off Freddie and pull the animal away. The seal was transported to a vet, but had to be put down Monday due to the severity of his injuries.
“We contacted a number of marine mammal veterinarians in the UK and the Netherlands, including an orthopaedic surgeon and sadly based on their experiences the decision is that he needed to be euthanised for his welfare,” the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said, according to the BBC.
“We hope that his story will go a long way to helping educate people to look up and follow the appropriate guidelines for how to behave respectfully around wild animals and not cause disturbance or worse to them,” the BDMLR said.
Sabben-Clare told the BBC she was heartbroken over the attack and apologized. She said she wished she had the dog on a leash, but it didn’t seem necessary at the time.
“As an animal lover, I fully understand the dismay that has been expressed,” she told the outlet.
Sabben-Clare donated to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital where the animal was treated.
The BBC reports Sabben-Clare is not facing any charges for the incident.
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