Baby seal put down after woman took it home in plastic bag

A woman in the States took a baby seal home with her from the beach in a plastic bag.  Her reason for doing so was because she believed that it had been abandoned by its mother. According to ABC News, the woman spotted the small cub on a beach in Westport, Washington, and put it in a plastic tote bag before bringing it home. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) public affairs officer Michael Milstein told them:

"She then took it home and realized she really didn't know what to do for it or how to take care of it. She later called the local aquarium, Westport Aquarium, which is part of our network of volunteers."

Westport's aquarium director said that when they arrived to her home the seal was "alive but extremely lethargic." He said:

"Usually these animals will snap and struggle to get away if you try to approach them, but this pup was so lethargic. Putting him in the carrier to take him to a center was like picking up a sleeping human baby."

They had hoped to be able to return the seal to the sea but because it was so unresponsive their only option was to put it down. Giving advice on what people should do in the same situation the NOAA said:

"The best thing people can do to help marine mammals on the beach is to leave them alone, staying 100 yards away, if possible. Disturbing, feeding or attempting to move young seals or other marine mammals is illegal because it can stress the animals, interfere with their natural behavior and cause adult seals to abandon their pups."