Pup responding well in rehab
Jul/03/14 05:24 PM
(SEE LATEST PUPDATE END OF STORY)
Junebug, the dehydrated and thin newborn harbor seal pup taken to rehab on Tuesday afternoon, is doing well at PAWS Wildlife Center. Emily Meredith, Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager, reported yesterday morning that Junebug was “nice and bitey” after his first night of care - this feistiness is a good sign. On intake, the pup was given fluids for hydration and antibiotics for a swollen puncture wound on one of his front flippers. His chin was also scuffed up from sharp barnacle-covered rocks.
We just received word this afternoon that Junebug is responding well to his treatment and his wounds are healing. However, he still has a long road ahead of him. He needs to gain weight and pack on a thick layer of blubber to provide energy and warmth in the wild. He also needs to learn to eat solid food and how to hunt live prey. Learning to catch fish in a small rehab pool is vastly different than foraging for fish in the wide expanse of Puget Sound.
If Junebug manages to survive the lengthy rehab stay (his health is still tenuous), he will be released near a harbor seal haul-out, where hundreds of seals of all ages gather to rest and forage. There is no guarantee about his success post-release since his mom was not around to teach him all about how to be a harbor seal. It is the hope that Junebug will assimilate into a seal colony where there is safety in numbers and he can learn foraging and social skills from other seals.
PUPDATE (July 7, 2014)
We’re elated to report that Junebug continues to fare well in rehab. He has gained a bit of weight and is spending his days lounging on his pool pad, “swimming at his leisure”.
Junebug, the dehydrated and thin newborn harbor seal pup taken to rehab on Tuesday afternoon, is doing well at PAWS Wildlife Center. Emily Meredith, Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager, reported yesterday morning that Junebug was “nice and bitey” after his first night of care - this feistiness is a good sign. On intake, the pup was given fluids for hydration and antibiotics for a swollen puncture wound on one of his front flippers. His chin was also scuffed up from sharp barnacle-covered rocks.
We just received word this afternoon that Junebug is responding well to his treatment and his wounds are healing. However, he still has a long road ahead of him. He needs to gain weight and pack on a thick layer of blubber to provide energy and warmth in the wild. He also needs to learn to eat solid food and how to hunt live prey. Learning to catch fish in a small rehab pool is vastly different than foraging for fish in the wide expanse of Puget Sound.
If Junebug manages to survive the lengthy rehab stay (his health is still tenuous), he will be released near a harbor seal haul-out, where hundreds of seals of all ages gather to rest and forage. There is no guarantee about his success post-release since his mom was not around to teach him all about how to be a harbor seal. It is the hope that Junebug will assimilate into a seal colony where there is safety in numbers and he can learn foraging and social skills from other seals.
PUPDATE (July 7, 2014)
We’re elated to report that Junebug continues to fare well in rehab. He has gained a bit of weight and is spending his days lounging on his pool pad, “swimming at his leisure”.
