US EditionEntangled Seal Pup Rescued in Critical Condition in West Vancouver
The seal pup named Annette is recovering after treatment for a deep neck gash and severe malnutrition caused by weeks of gillnet entanglement, officials said.
- On Jan. 28, 2026, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society reported Annette, a young harbour seal pup, was spotted by a member of the public and rescued in West Vancouver last Thursday.
- Dr. Martin Haulena explained the cause as the gillnet likely digging into Annette's neck for weeks, causing a one-to-two centimetre gash that prevented feeding and led to malnutrition.
- Vets treated the pup with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, disinfectants, and painkillers, and staff report recovery signs as eating fish and swimming actively.
- Dr. Martin Haulena, head veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, said the rehabilitation plan includes supportive care and expects Annette to stay four to six weeks.
- The case underscores the danger posed by gillnets as a member of the public spotted the life-threatening gillnet entanglement, highlighting risks fishing gear poses to marine mammals in West Vancouver.
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11 Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
Annette, the harbour seal, rescued from netting around her neck in West Vancouver
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
Annette, the harbour seal, rescued from netting around her neck in West Vancouver – Energeticcity.ca
VANCOUVER — A young harbour seal is recovering after being rescued from a life-threatening gillnet entanglement in West Vancouver. Dr. Martin Haulena, the head veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, says the net had likely been digging into the seal’s neck for weeks or even months, leaving a gash that was one-to-two centimetres deep and getting deeper every day. The pup is thought to have been born last summer and h…
Seal pup in critical care after rescue in West Vancouver
A juvenile harbour seal named Annette is now in intensive care after being rescued in West Vancouver with a severe gillnet entanglement that caused a life-threatening injury to her neck. In a social media post of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, the rescue society introduced Annette as its newest admit, saying she was found with monofilament fishing gear deeply embedded in her neck, creating a critical and dangerous wound. An…
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