Grumpy male elephant seal crushes weaned pup

A male elephant seal chased then crushed a weaned pup who struggled and squealed before wriggling free and was apparently uninjured.

The southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) is the largest non-whale marine carnivore. Males grow up to about six metres (20 feet) long and weigh up to four tonnes (8,800 pounds).

Males form harems in the beaches of Antarctica and sub-Antarctic islands, such as South Georgia. The pregnant females arrive around October and give birth to pups weighing around 40 kilograms (88 pounds).

The pups begin suckling immediately on their mother's “rocket fuel” milk and are weaned after about 23 days by which time they weigh around 130 kilograms (290 pounds).

The pups are then called “weaners” and are abandoned by their mothers who return to sea.

The weaners are sociable and often lie next to each other and practice swimming together. They live off their fat reserves until late summer (January-February in the Southern Hemisphere) and then go to sea to fend for themselves.

The weaners are often in proximity to males who have not returned to sea, occasionally getting into trouble as a grumpy male seals attack them.