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January 18, 2008

Harp seal rescued by Mystic team; public can view it

A Mystic Aquarium rescue team on Wednesday helped a harp seal found stranded at Napatree Point in Westerly's Watch Hill section, the aquarium and research institute announced today.

The male seal, thought to be a yearling, was seen on the beach by aquarium staff eating sand, "which probably indicates the animal was dealing with some sort of stress-related issue," Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration said in a news release today.

“Harp seals are usually found further north, following the ice flows,” said Janelle Schuh, a stranding coordinator for the aquarium's Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Program. “However, it’s not totally uncommon this time of year to see them off the southern New England coast as well, but it’s not their natural habitat.”

Aquarium staff took the seal to the Seal Rescue Clinic at Mystic Aquarium, where it is receiving antibiotics to fight off infections.

“He’s doing well right now,” Schuh said in the statement. “We’re trying to get him to eat fish again and once he’s off the antibiotics, he’ll be re-released. There is a 14-day waiting period when an animal like this is given medication; if everything is OK after that, he’ll then be returned to the ocean.”

The public is welcome to see the seal at the aquarium on a television monitor that tracks his movements.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 2:14 PM | Permalink

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