An Australian fur seal that spent months with a ring caught on its neck has been freed from its plastic constraint.
Residents of Narooma, a small town on the south coast of NSW known for its seal population, reported the pinniped's plight to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
While the service made numerous attempts to free the animal, wildlife officials' work was hampered by the amount of time the seal spent in the ocean.
But national parks staff were finally able to safely capture and disentangle the seal when it was spotted on the local breakwall on Wednesday.
The seal was unharmed in the process and quickly returned to the water after workers set it free from the plastic.
Reports from the community as well as the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans were invaluable in tracking down the seal, NPWS area manager Jo Issaverdis said.
"It was really heartening for the team to see the seal dive back into the ocean," he said.
"(The community's) reports were key to ensuring a positive outcome for this critter."
Australian fur seals are a common sight along the southeast coast during the colder months, although they can be found as far north as the NSW mid-north coast.
They are the largest fur seal species in the world and males can weigh more than 300kg.
Wildlife authorities advise the public not to approach the animals as they may bite if they feel threatened.
