NESKOWIN, Ore. (AP) — The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is trying to find the one that stabbed a child seal a number of instances on a seaside in Oregon.

The seal survived the March assault in a cove within the small city of Neskowin, which sits alongside the Pacific Ocean, NOAA mentioned Monday. The administration’s marine stranding workforce was capable of assist the animal relocate after monitoring and evaluating it.

The company’s regulation enforcement workplace, which is investigating the assault, was trying to find a “person of interest” noticed by a witness. Officers had been additionally in search of the proprietor of a automobile seen in a parking zone close to the cove behind a condominium constructing which may be related with the Sunday night assault, in line with NOAA.

Officers are asking anybody with data on the particular person of curiosity, automobile proprietor or assault to name NOAA’s enforcement hotline.

Within the spring and summer season, juvenile elephant seals will typically drag themselves onto Oregon’s seashores to spend weeks shedding their hair and pores and skin, in line with Oregon State College’s Marine Mammal Institute. Grownup elephant seals are hardly ever seen within the state.

The federal Marine Mammal Safety Act prohibits harassing, harming, killing or feeding wild elephant seals and different marine mammals. Violators can face legal penalties of as much as $100,000 in fines and as much as 1 yr in jail.

Initially Printed: Might 7, 2025 at 1:53 PM EDT