Blind seal finds new home at Detroit Zoo
JEREMY CARROLL
Published: January 6, 2010
ROYAL OAK - A blind seal that was rescued from a beach in Massachusetts earlier this year has moved into the Detroit Zoo's Arctic Ring of Life. The 70-pound male seal, believed to be approximately 1 year old, was taken to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut after it was found in August. A medical exam revealed that the seal had congenital blindness and would likely not survive if returned to the ocean.
The Detroit Zoo announced the seal's arrival on Dec. 21.
"We're happy we can provide a home for this little guy who can't be returned to his natural habitat," said Scott Carter, the zoo's chief life sciences officer, in a statement. "The Arctic Ring of Life is a great place for seals and we think he'll do very well here." The Arctic Ring of Life is North America's largest polar bear and seal exhibit, according to the zoo. It encompasses more than four acres, including a 70-foot-long clear underwater tunnel that allows visitors to view the polar bears and seals swimming.
The new addition, named Pequot, is a harp seal, which is native to North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, according to the zoo. An adult male normally weighs approximately 300 pounds and can live 30 years in captivity. The harp seal is considered a threatened species due to commercial hunting and climate change, the zoo said.
The Detroit Zoo is the only zoo in the United States to care for harp seals.
Pequot, who gets his name from an American Indian tribe that originated in Connecticut, joins the zoo's only other harp seal, Mack, who was rescued from a beach in Maryland in 1997 after having been shot.
For more information on the Detroit Zoo, visit them online at www.detroitzoo. org or call (248) 541-5717.
Caption:Photo provided by the Detroit Zoo Pequot, a harp seal that was rescued on a beach in Massachusetts earlier this year, has taken up permanent residence at the Detroit Zoo's Arctic Ring of Life.
Copyright, 2010, Royal Oak Review (MI), All Rights Reserved.
are born big, standing approximately three feet (one meter) tall and weighing 200 pounds (91 kilograms) at birth. They nurse for two to three years, and are fully mature at 9 (females) to 15 (males) years of age.
use golden eagles to hunt wolves and foxes. Check out this video:
to check out the latest goings on. They've got a small photo update from Sea World Orlando
including loads of pictures of Atlantis
, Manta, and Omaka Rocka. Check it out!
for my birthday so we decided to put it to good use by visiting the Detroit Zoo
. It was a little on the cold side so we thought it was going to be a crappy day but it turned out even more enjoyable than our visit last summer. Animals of note that were a treat to see were the baby red panda, arctic foxes, wolverine and, of course, feeding the giraffes. Enjoy the pictures!
-introduce Sully back into the wild but each time Sully would follow the boat back to shore, showing no sign of wanting to return to the ocean. With no long term care facility to take care of Sully, it was determined that SeaWorld San Diego was the most suitable new home for him, as the park has a long history of care and experience in taking care of pilot whales for over 20 years.
. This park map is from the mid-nineties and according to Wikipedia: The park began in 1893 on St. Augustine Beach as a minor attraction at the end of a railway running through neighboring Anastasia Island. The alligators were added at first to get visitors to buy souvernirs and see the museum there. Soon, though, the reptiles themselves became the point of interest. Growing in popularity, the park moved to its current location in the early 1920s. The park changed owners in the 1930s, and after a devastating fire, they started reconstruction and expansion of the facilities.
even has his very own Wikipedia page:
