Knife-wielding monk seal caught on camera in Hawaii

April 18 (UPI) -- Officials in Hawaii shared video of a monk seal pup playing with a knife it apparently found at a Hawaii Island beach.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources shared a video showing the seal pup using its mouth to play with an orange-handled knife at a beach on Hawaii Island.

The department said the seal, known to researchers as Manu'iwa, was spotted with the knife on Sunday.

"There was real concern that the seal pup might swallow the knife. It's a reminder to all of us to properly dispose of our trash and not to leave it on Hawaii's beaches or in the ocean," the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officer who captured the video said in a Facebook post.

The department said the seal eventually dropped the knife under some rocks and officers were later able to retrieve the sharp object.