Seal Pup Survives Being Nearly Strangled By G-String Thong

Ladies, the next time you're tempted to cast off your panties in passionate moment on the beach, please, think of the seals.

This little critter was nearly strangled to death after getting its neck caught in a woman's thong.

Passerby David Johnson spotted the panicked pup near the Lovers Leap Cliffs in Otago, New Zealand on an afternoon in late July.

The animal appeared to be struggling with something around its neck, the MSN reported, so Johnson promptly contacted the Department of Conservation.

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After an hour-long hike and a steep 230-meter climb, marine ranger Jim Fyfe and another staff member were able to reach the pup, according to the Otago Daily Times.

Expecting to find a fishing net or plastic bag around the animal's neck, the team was surprised to find that the offending object was a bright red G-string thong.

Though the conservation workers successfully freed the seal, the New Zealand Herald reported, Fyfe noted that the pup's fate could have been much worse.

"We usually don't have a second chance when people see things … If we leave [a struggling animal] any length of time, the animal would be gone."

Fyfe also advises caution when discarding any item that may pose a strangulation threat to wildlife. "If it forms a loop," he said, "cut it."

Though the seal scampered away unscathed, the journey of the discarded underpants was not yet over. In August, the Department of Conservation decided to auction off the thong, the Mirror reported, and donate the money to charity.

The panties ultimately sold for $135 NZ (about $107 US). The proceeds went to The Million Dollar Mouse Foundation, an organization dedicated to solving the problem of mouse overpopulation on New Zealand's Antipodes Islands.