An Alberta woman who tried to rescue a seal pup she discovered in distress on Vancouver Island earlier this year has been fined $230 for her actions.
The woman was hiking on the West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim National Park on Sept. 14 when she came across a baby seal that was beached.
The tiny pup was missing an eye and near death. The woman somehow got the seal onto a boat and took it to Port Renfrew, where she checked into a hotel with the pup and called the Vancouver Aquarium. The seal was handed over to the vets at the aquarium, but died a few days later.
The incident sparked an investigation from Parks Canada, which resulted in the woman being given a ticket for $230.
Removing wildlife from Canada's national parks is a violation of the Canada National Parks Act. Instead, when park users come across an animal in distress they are encouraged to keep a safe distance and contact Parks Canada.
With files from CTV Vancouver
