A father has been branded an “idiot” for trying to place his toddler on a wild seal’s back as it lay on a picturesque Norfolk beach.
Hundreds of people vented their fury on social media after the incident was reported on the Winterton-On-Sea Facebook page on Tuesday.
The post said: “We’ve been told a man had to be stopped from putting his child on the back of a seal at Winterton beach so he could take a picture.
“If this is the case, not only is it an act of gross stupidity, it shows a stunning lack of care for the tot’s safety.”
The post has been shared hundreds of times and the community page has been ‘liking’ comments branding the unnamed father an “idiot”.
Evolutionary biologist Dr Ben Garrod, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, said: “Heartbreaking to read about such blatant disregard for the safety of not only the child but the poor seal pup.
“With the colony expanding what can be done to secure the safety of these wild animals?”