Tragic certainty: Rabies in Cape fur seals is here to stay.

The recent outbreak of rabies in Cape fur seals has highlighted the challenges of living close to nature. Rabies is here to stay, and we must navigate this new reality. Until four years ago, there was no data on seal health, leaving a significant gap in understanding the diseases affecting their populations.

Sea Search began investigating after observing unusual behavior and health issues along the coastline, including pup die-offs and mass abortions. The Cape fur seal population spans an approximately 2,800-kilometer coastline from southern Angola to Plettenberg Bay.

Tests revealed significant levels of domoic acid, a neurotoxin, in many seals. However, the recent discovery of rabies adds a new layer of complexity. Rabies is extremely rare in marine life, with only one confirmed case of a ringed seal in Svalbard, Norway, in 1980 and one seropositive grey seal on the Estonian island of Ösel. Now, 17 cases have been found in Cape Town.

Efforts to control the virus through culling are not viable for ethical reasons, and vaccination remains the only effective method but is impractical given the large seal population. "The upcoming breeding season, which increases territoriality and aggression among seals, is a concern for the potential spread of rabies," noted Simon Elwen from Sea Search. Rabies vaccination is available, and the disease is preventable with prompt and appropriate medical care.

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