'Rabid' seals foaming at the mouth with 'cherry-red, evil eyes' spark terror among beachgoers after spate of attacks in tourist hot-spot

Rabid seals foaming at the mouth have sparked terror among beach-goers in Cape Town amid multiple reports of attacks by the virus-infested mammals in the South African city.

Scientists have urged anyone who has been injured by a seal along Cape Town's coastline to see a doctor, as they confirmed cases of rabies in the species for the first time in 40 years. 

Beach-goers are also being warned to keep their dogs on leads on beaches and to stay clear of any seals they may encounter. 

Rabies is a rare but severe infection that can be passed on to humans and other animals through contact with the saliva of infected animals. Symptoms include hallucinations and feeling very anxious or energetic, according to the NHS.

Several unprovoked attacks have been reported in Cape Town in recent years.

Cases of rabies in seals along the Western Cape coast have been confirmed, with officials urging beach-goers to stay clear of the aquatic mammals following a string on unprovoked seal attacks

A rabies outbreak has been linked to rising seal attacks in Cape Town, South Africa, including one on American actress Loulou Taylor in January last year. Pictured: A seal is seen attacking a boy who was playing in the shallows of a beach in Cape Town, South Africa last year

Last year, American actress Loulou Taylor said she was bitten six times by an angry seal pup as she swam on the coast of South Africa. 

In the attack, Taylor, who is known for starring in HBO's Raised by Wolves, footage showed the enraged animal charging at a child and trying to bite him as a man shouted: 'Get out of the water!'. 

Onlookers screamed before two men came to the rescue, causing the animal to flee.

But a woman can then be heard crying out as the creature went on to attack her in the sea. She attempted to push it off but failed, which prompted a group of witnesses to help.

A man eventually grabbed the animal by its flippers and tossed it back into the water as the woman was carried to safety.

Last year HBO actress Loulou Taylor (pictured) said she was bitten six times by the angry seal pup as she swam on the coast of South Africa

Just seconds before the rampage started, someone could be heard saying 'aw cutie' - only for the situation to descend in to chaos.

A recent incident at Muizenberg beach in Cape Town saw three surfers taking part in a competition get attacked by a seal. 

In a video shared on Facebook, South African surfers recalled the attack. 

One unnamed man said: 'This little seal came up at me at high speed...and latched onto my back...and bit me on the backside'. 

He went on to explain that the seal attached itself to his surfboard and started chewing into the board. 

A colony of Cape fur seals crowd onto rocks as researchers try and determine the full extent of the rabies outbreak among seals off the coast of Cape Town

'The only thing I could do was try and get it off and it wouldn't even get off my board. 

'Eventually it let go but it kept coming back at me all the time'.  

Speaking in TV programme Carte Blanche, snorkelling guide Jami Marnitz said that  rogue, attacking seals typically foamed at the mouth, had 'cherry-red, evil eyes' and chased their targets relentlessly.

The rise in seal attacks have prompted baffled scientists to investigate the cause, as the animals typically do not target humans. 

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The incidents were originally linked to a mass die-off of seals along South Africa's southern coast that was attributed to poisoning by a naturally occurring neurotoxin produced by marine algae that builds up in small fish and squid. These are then eaten by predators in the ocean.

However, further research has identified the cause of the attacks as rabies, which had not been recorded in a seal since a single case in Norway in 1981.

Last month, the Western Cape government confirmed the presence of rabies in seals along the coast of Cape Town. 

'Residents and travellers are urged to be cautious when visiting our coastline', it said in a statement. 

'Individuals who frequently come in contact with seals or using coastal areas for recreational activities, such as: surfers, divers, water sports enthusiasts, and those in the fishing industry particularly are asked to be extra cautious.'

The Western Cape government added that stored samples collected from seals by Sea Search, a South African research group, are currently being tested to determine the timeline and extent of the outbreak.  

Researchers are now trying to determine the full extent of the rabies outbreak. 

It is estimated that there are around two million fur seals along the South African coast.