US EditionEntangled Seal Pup Rescued in Critical Condition in West Vancouver
The seal pup named Annette is recovering after treatment for a deep neck gash and severe malnutrition caused by weeks of gillnet entanglement, officials said.
- On Jan. 28, 2026, The Canadian Press reported a young harbour seal pup named Annette was rescued from a gillnet in West Vancouver after being spotted by a member of the public last Thursday.
- The entangling gillnet had likely been embedded in the pup's neck for weeks or months, producing a one-to-two centimetres deep wound, but veterinarians said it had not severed vital structures, Dr. Martin Haulena said.
- Veterinary staff report the pup received antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, disinfectants and painkillers and has returned to feeding on fish and swimming actively.
- Haulena expects Annette to stay in care for another four to six weeks as she remains very thin and uses heat lamps for thermal support.
- The case highlights risks from gillnets as the pup was unable to feed and weighed about half a healthy harbour seal, showing prolonged harm and the role of public reporting.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
Annette, the harbour seal, rescued from netting around her neck in West Vancouver
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
Annette, the harbour seal, rescued from netting around her neck in West Vancouver – Energeticcity.ca
VANCOUVER — A young harbour seal is recovering after being rescued from a life-threatening gillnet entanglement in West Vancouver. Dr. Martin Haulena, the head veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, says the net had likely been digging into the seal’s neck for weeks or even months, leaving a gash that was one-to-two centimetres deep and getting deeper every day. The pup is thought to have been born last summer and h…
Seal pup in critical care after rescue in West Vancouver
A juvenile harbour seal named Annette is now in intensive care after being rescued in West Vancouver with a severe gillnet entanglement that caused a life-threatening injury to her neck. In a social media post of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, the rescue society introduced Annette as its newest admit, saying she was found with monofilament fishing gear deeply embedded in her neck, creating a critical and dangerous wound. An…
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