Saving seals at the Animal Care and Rescue Center
(Part 3 of a Series)
Baltimore (WHTM) — From winter until May, baby seals show up regularly at the National Aquarium’s Animal Care and Rescue Center – like Selkie, a grey seal pup.
“Selkie was found in Lewes, Delaware. She is deemed a maternally dependent pup, meaning she was a failure to thrive, that mom and her separated prematurely,” says Margot Madden, Senior Rehabilitation Biologist at the center. “These are animals that we are bringing in off the beaches, primarily, the Maryland Coastline is where we serve our jurisdiction with the NOAA.”
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(The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries branch is responsible for monitoring and protecting marine life. All National Aquarium stranding response and seal rehabilitation activities are conducted under a NOAA permit.)
Most of the seals who come to the rescue are one of three species – grey, harp, or harbor. “We typically see mainly grey seals,” says Margot. “They come at different stages of life, primarily maternally dependent pups or recently weaned-from-mom juveniles. The maternally dependent pups are separating from mom too soon, so they are a failure to thrive. And then in the juvenile state, this is where they’re building their immunity and they catch a lot of different illnesses like colds, influenza, and things that are going to build up their immunity. We’re treating for upper respiratory infections, also wounds and lesions and different type of ailments along those lines.”
Inside the National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center
“Harp seals often come down from the Arctic. They’re usually a little older than the gray seals. They are coming on the beaches to rest. Up in the Arctic, there’s plenty of ice for them to hang out on, and they munch on the ice and they stay well hydrated. But down here, when we don’t have snowy winters on the beach, they’re munching on sand, which ends up dehydrating them. So these guys usually come in severely dehydrated. They’re a little easier to rehab. They just need fluids, and then they usually get to go right back.”
“And then the last we see are harbor seals. They’re a good combination of the two species. Sometimes they are battling a poor immune system. Sometimes they are dehydrated. And some of them also come in with wounds as well.
With baby seals like Selkie, you usually have to start from scratch.
“We are now teaching her essentially how to be a seal,” explains Margot. “Teaching her how to swim, teaching her how to eat. She doesn’t have an infection, but she is a little malnourished and just needs to learn how to be a wild seal, to be able to go out and thrive on her own.”
The rescue has targets the seal pups have to meet before they can be considered for release.
National Aquarium Animal Care & Rescue Center – new arrivals
“Once we get Selkie to a place where she is swimming well, she has learned to forage on her own, we will wait until she’s around 50 pounds, which is considered releasable weight for us. And then we will recheck her blood values, making sure that they’re all within the normal ranges.”
Then they have to do some paperwork.
“We will apply for a release permit with NOAA and then we will be able to release her back to the wild.”
To see Part 1, click here.
To see Part 2, click here.
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