A baby gray seal was discovered wandering the streets of New Haven, Connecticut, on Sunday (February 16). The seal, estimated to be only a few weeks old, was found near Chapel and East streets. The Mystic Aquarium, with help from the New Haven Police Department and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, rescued the seal and transported it to the aquarium for care.
Before its rescue, the seal had been spotted several times in the area, including outside a local oyster bar. Officials relocated the seal to a nearby beach, but it made its way back to the city. Francesca Battaglia, an animal rescue technician at Mystic Aquarium, suggested that the seal may have followed its instincts away from the water due to potential threats, such as bad weather or other seals.
Officials with Mystic Aquarium told WTNH that the seal was lethargic, dehydrated, and weighed only 28 pounds, which is below the typical weight for newborn gray seals. To help the seal regain strength, the aquarium has started it on fluid therapy and a specialized diet.
"Mystic Aquarium is pleased to have rescued this misdirected young seal in need of help, and looks forward to hopefully returning the seal back to the ocean in the months ahead," Dr. Allison Tuttle, Mystic Aquarium's Chief Zoological Officer, said in a press release.
Gray seals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are commonly found in the North Atlantic Ocean.
The New Haven Police Department shared a video of the seal on Instagram, which you can watch below: