Lost seal found on Assendelft street, some 10 kilometers from sea

A lost seal was found wandering wandering in the Noord-Holland town of Assendelft, about 10 kilometers from the coast, on Sunday evening. The local animal ambulance, in consultation with the Pieterburen Seal Center, returned the animal to the sea.

The police found the seal on Vaartdijk in Assendelft after tips from locals. “We know we have a versatile working area. But we never expected to encounter a seal,” the Zaanstreek police said on Facebook.

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The police called the animal ambulance, who assessed the seal and sent photos and videos to Pieterburen. The seal center concluded that the animal was in good health, so the animal ambulance marked it and returned it to the sea.

Vaartdijk, where the animal was found, runs along the Nauernasche Vaart, a body of water that ends in the North Sea Canal via locks.

It sometimes happens that seals end up in inland waters, Pieterburen told the NU.nl. “As long as they can find enough food, there is no reason to worry. That was also the case here. And seals often eventually find their way again. We took action in Assendelft because the seal was on the road.”