China seal touches hearts for swimming 200km back to island after missing humans
Experts believe that because Nana was cared for by humans for so long, she now associates people with safety
A young seal gained widespread attention on social media in China after swimming 200km to return to an island where it had lived for months following its release into the wild.
This two-year-old seal marks its second return to a human-inhabited area after being freed into open seas.
Internet users were touched by videos showcasing the seal, affectionately named Nana, as it returned to the shores of Dachangshan Island in northeastern China’s Liaoning province.
Nana was released into the ocean on September 7, but reappeared on the island on September 13 after covering the impressive distance of 200km, as reported by the Science Education Times, thanks to positioning equipment attached to its body.