A baby seal tragically passed away after people gathered around the helpless creature and petted it for several hours.
According to reports, the poor pup was washed ashore after a massive storm in Primorsky Krai, Russia.
Local residents then spotted the creature and approached it with cameras and dogs despite its heartbreaking cries.
For several hours, people petted and took photos of the baby seal while its mother was swimming nearby, waiting for the crowd to disappear so she could approach its little one.
Local animal rights activists then rushed to the scene after hearing about the horrifying incident.
They protected the pup from people trying to approach the creature so that the pup’s mother couldn’t detect their presence.
The baby seal’s mother managed to get to her baby but couldn’t take it to the water with her, leaving the little pup on the shore.
Animal rights activists then took the pup to a rehabilitation center where vets discovered that it was a girl and named her Nelly.
Sadly, Nelly passed away the next day.
A spokesperson for the center said: “Nelly died from the physiological effects of stress. The baby seals are very fearful. The hormones of stress, adrenaline and cortisol kill them.”
One person commented: “People can’t leave animals alone…you can watch from a distance…like these people who dress their pets up…just take your hands off them and let them be…”
Another wrote: “when will people stop treating wild animals as pets. shame the poor thing didn’t rip off some hands.”
A third added: “So very sad and far too many stories like this. How I wish humans would wake up!!! Imagine taking their baby and leaving it outside a shop for everyone to come and stroke it and say hello for hours with no milk from it’s mother. Wonder if humanity will ever rise beyond this cruelty….”
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