One seal found decapitated with letters carved in skin
By Karen Dandurant
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WELLS, Maine - A grisly discovery in town last Thursday brought to nine the number of mutilated seals found in New England waters.
The seal discovered on Feb. 5 was decapitated and had the letter,s "M," "A" and "L," carved in its side.
Authorities identified the animal as a harbor seal. The significance of the markings on the seal are not yet known.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Law Enforcement Bureau officials said it is not typical to see cases like this in New England.
"We see West Coast seals shot," NOAA National Media Officer Mark Oswell said. "The fishermen don’t like them because they chase the salmon. The markings, like on the (seal found in Wells), I never saw before.
"We’ve seen skinnings before, but in the New England area, they are very uncommon," Oswell said. "We have seen dead and decomposed seals, but this is obviously done by an individual - with the head cut off and marked like that."
Local National Marine Fisheries Agent Chris Shoppmeyer said the seals found recently in Hampton, N.H., and Kittery were skinned expertly.
Oswell said they do not know yet if the mutilations are the work of one or multiple perpetrators.
Last week, four dead seals were found in Massachusetts, adding to the three skinned seals discovered in Hampton and Kittery. A fourth seal found in the region was too decomposed for accurate tests, but its death is being considered suspicious.
In the New Hampshire cases, the seals had been skinned and their male genitalia were removed, allegedly for sale as an aphrodisiac on the Oriental Black Market.
It appears seal killings are becoming more common all along the Eastern Seaboard. An injured harbor seal was found washed up on the beach in Ocean City, Md., on Dec. 26, 2003. The seal was found to have sustained injuries to its neck and mouth.
It was taken to the National Aquarium in Baltimore for treatment. The emaciated seal died several days later, and X-rays revealed several pellets of bird shot in the upper neck and face of the animal.
"Instances of mammal shootings along the Maryland coast are rare," said Special Agent Steve Niemi, NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement - Northeast Division in the Berlin (Md.) Field Office. "A case of this type has not been reported to my office in several years. We take these cases very seriously."
The National Marine Fisheries Service is asking that anyone with information about this incident call the NOAA Office for Law Enforcement at (800) 853-1964. Locally, calls can also be made to Shoppmeyer at 436-4414. Information can be given anonymously, and there is a reward for information that leads to the apprehension of those involved.