BALTIMORE — The National Aquarium rescued a grey seal pup that was too young to survive in the ocean without its mother.
The pup is on its way to learning how to survive on its own. This seal is one of three maternally-dependent seals admitted to the Animal Care and Rescue Center (ACRC) over the past year.
The aquarium welcomed this new animal on February 26. It was rescued from Assateague Island National Seashore, where he was found stranded and dehydrated with wounds to his face and left flipper. He was named Louis Armstrong, keeping with the National Aquarium's naming theme of musicians and instruments.
Weighing in at 35 pounds, the Animal Rescue team was able to determine that Armstrong as born sometime in January and if he was still in the wild, he would still depend on his mother for nourishment.
He's since been treated with antibiotics to address infections from his previous wounds. Now, he's working with the Animal Rescue team to master independent swimming and foraging for food.
Aquarium caregivers describe him as having a big personality. He is slowly getting comfortable in his new environment.
The aquarium believes that they will continue to see an increase in grey seal rescue cases. This shows the possibility of a rookery, a grey seal colony, in mid-Atlantic waters.
More information about the rescue can be found here.
