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Tourists asked to stop feeding peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to seals

Sammy the seal is ‘watching his weight’, apparently.
Sammy the seal is ‘watching his weight’, apparently. Sammy the seal is ‘watching his weight’, apparently.

Wildlife lovers in a Massachusetts town have been asked to stop feeding peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to seals.

The Department of Natural Resources in Wareham was called to take a look at a harp seal who was reported to be sick or injured.

When an officer arrived, they found the seal was in good health – but there was a crowd of people congregating nearby and somebody had left peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for him.

Posted by Wareham Department of Natural Resources on Monday, January 21, 2019

In a Facebook post, the department wrote: “We ask that if you come across a seal to please keep a significant distance and do not disturb them. Harp seals tend to eat sand when they become stressed and it is not good for them.

“Also, Sammy the seal asked that you don’t leave peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (yes, sandwiches were left) he is watching his weight, don’t attempt to wrap blankets around it or try to assist it back to the water in any way.”

Needless to day, a PBJ is not a regular part of a harp seal’s diet – they mostly eat fish and crustaceans.