VICTORIA — Emerson the elephant seal is back in Victoria after defying attempts to relocate him and swimming more than 200 kilometres to return to his...
VICTORIA — Emerson the elephant seal is back in Victoria after defying attempts to relocate him and swimming more than 200 kilometres to return to his preferred urban habitat to moult.
“To say I was surprised would be an understatement. I got the email over the weekend and couldn’t believe it,” said Van Kirk, recalling the moment when reports came in that Emerson was back in town.Van Kirk said he did not want to publicize Emerson's exact location, given his ability to attract a crowd.
Van Kirk said that due to Emerson’s growing popularity, conservation officers had decided to relocate him to the west coast of Vancouver Island. He was placed on a “beautiful nice, quiet beach,” perfect for elephant seals to moult.“I think for any animal, especially a two-year-old elephant seal, to be put in a place that he was unfamiliar with and be able to easily find his way back means he's probably smarter than all of us,” Van Kirk said with a laugh.
“Once again, even though he looks cute and cuddly, he is over 500 pounds and he is a wild animal, and if they feel threatened, they will react, and that’s something we want to avoid,” said Van Kirk.
Morgan Van Kirk Van Kirk VICTORIA Elephant Seal Emerson
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