南非有关官员10月31日表示，一头海豹于29日将该国一名妇女的鼻子咬了下来，而当时这名妇女正试图帮助海豹重返大海。

    据路透社10月31日报道，事发地点在位于开普敦以东约400公里处的乔治城附近的海岸上。这名49岁的妇女名叫埃尔希·范·汤德尔，她将于本周接受鼻子修复手术。医生表示，此人的鼻子已找到但却再也无法重新“安装”到她的脸上了。南非环境事务部的海洋生物学家赫尔曼·乌斯图伊森表示：“这头海豹从28日起便一直躺在同一地点，所以汤德尔女士便和其他人试图把它重新送回海洋，而在此过程中，这头雌性海豹突然在汤德尔女士的脸上猛咬了一口。”

    报道说，在南非各地的海滩上均可以见到这种浑身长满软毛的海豹，而且它们中的大多数已经习惯了与人类共处的生活。站在开普敦的海滨地带，你可以看到它们在大海里纵情戏水的欢快场面，海豹也为该国吸引了大量的游客。但这些海豹同样也有危险的一面，有时它们会向那些过于靠近自己的人发起进攻，特别是在捕鱼码头，海豹们通常会主动与那些正在往船下卸载“战利品”的渔民来一番“亲密接触”。乌斯图伊森说：“海豹毕竟是一种食肉动物，它们具有极其锋利的牙齿，一旦被其咬到了致命部位，那你的生命便会危在旦夕。”

    A seal bit off a South African woman's nose after she tried to help it back into the sea, an official said on Monday.

    Elsie van Tonder, 49, is expected to undergo surgery this week after being bitten on a beach near George, about 400 (240 miles) east of Cape Town on Saturday.

    Her nose was found but could not be reattached to her face, local media reported.

    "The seal had been lying in the same spot since Friday, so the lady and a few other people were trying to take it back to the water," said Herman Oosthuizen, a marine biologist with the Department of Environmental Affairs.

    "The young female seal then bit her in the face."

    Cape Fur Seals are common on South African shores and many have become accustomed to humans. They are a popular tourist attraction and can be viewed playing in the sea by Cape Town's waterfront.

    But they can be dangerous and sometimes attack people who venture too close, especially in fishing harbours where they come into close contact with fishermen offloading their catch.

    "It's a predator, it's got vicious teeth and if it bites you in the wrong place, it could kill you," Oosthuizen said.