Baby seal stabbed on Oregon coast prompts search for suspect

NESKOWIN Ore AP The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is searching for the person who stabbed a baby seal multiple times on a beach in Oregon The seal survived the March attack in a cove in the small town of Neskowin which sits along the Pacific Ocean NOAA explained Monday The administration s marine stranding band was able to help the animal relocate after monitoring and evaluating it The agency s law enforcement office which is scrutinizing the attack was searching for a person of interest spotted by a witness Officers were also looking for the owner of a wagon seen in a parking lot near the cove behind a condominium building that may be connected with the Sunday evening attack according to NOAA Authorities are asking anyone with information on the person of interest carriage owner or attack to call NOAA s enforcement hotline In the spring and summer juvenile elephant seals will often drag themselves onto Oregon s beaches to spend weeks shedding their hair and skin according to Oregon State University s Marine Mammal Institute Adult elephant seals are rarely seen in the state The federal Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits harassing harming killing or feeding wild elephant seals and other marine mammals Violators can face criminal penalties of up to in fines and up to year in jail Related Articles Moderna assessment shows immune response in older adults for a combo flu and COVID- shot Scripps National Spelling Bee tweaks its rules to make spell-off tiebreaker less likely Hands tied Athletes left in dark as NCAA settlement leaves murky future for non-revenue sports Nevada hearing may give first community view into legal spat over control of Murdoch media empire Turkish Tufts University scholar detained by ICE can be sent to Vermont appeals court rules