Spanish Zoo In Hot Water After Photos Of Neglected Seal Covered In Seaweed Cause Outrage

Images of a seal covered in seaweed at a zoo in Spain have led to calls for closure of the facility. The seal appears to be totally neglected, sparking outrage among animal lovers and activists.

Bad Old Days

The small zoo is located in the Magdalena Peninsula in Santander, Spain, according to reports. It is where a visitor was able to capture an image of the neglected seal, its entire body almost covered in seaweed. Animal rights activists, upon seeing the photos online, immediately called for the zoo to be closed. It also condemned the facility for being a “throwback” to the bad old days where animals are continuously mistreated and abandoned.

Photos of other “unhappy” animals kept at the same facility have been circulating on various social media sites in Spain. This led AnimaNaturalis to establish an online petition for the zoo’s closure. The organization is an international non-profit animal rights group whose main aim is to “establish, promote and protect the rights of all animals in Spain and Latin America.”

A Letter Of Protest

According to the animal rights organization, over 6,000 have already signed its letter of protest to the Santander government council. Aida Gascon, the leader of the charity, said that the seal, which was covered in green algae, “appears to be letting itself die.”

Local councilor Daniel Fernandez says the pictures relay an image of an inconceivable and disgraceful treatment of animals upon seeing things like a sea lion pen without any water. He added that such a situation would be unacceptable in any place on the planet, but is even more surprising to see in a city that wanted to promote itself as a tourist destination.

Petition To Close The Zoo

As regards for the online petition to close the Magdalena mini-zoo, over 26,000 people have already signed their approval to the appeal on Change.org. On the part of Santander mayor Gema Igual, however, she denied that the animals at the facility were being mistreated, adding that the images of a grey seal had been grossly misinterpreted. “That photo was of a sleeping animal and the dead sea lion was not in a place people could see it because it was known to be ill,” Igual said.