Rescuers said a researcher studying birds stumbled upon the young harbor seal in a tide pool on Appledore Island on Sunday morning.
The 23-pound pup had some cuts on his belly and seemed in distress. Rescuers with Marine Mammals of Maine monitored the seal for several tides.
"To see if the animal wanted to come and go on its own, and then it seemed to not want to leave the area, and seemed to be in a bit of distress, the response team that traveled out to Appledore Island discovered. The seal pup needed medical help. He didn't just have superficial cuts on his belly; one of his flippers was infected, preventing him from swimming," Executive Director Lynda Ada Doughty said.
Doughty said the 6-week-old pup was on his own having just been weened from his mother.
"They're on their own and trying to figure it out, and this one got into a little bit of trouble," she said.
The pup went to the University of New England Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center in Biddeford, Maine. His future was still uncertain.
Rescuers said they are getting a lot of calls this summer about similar situations. They said that, in many cases, the seals are not stranded at all.
Wildlife officials said people who spot stranded seals should keep their distance and contact help at 1-800-532-9551.
Source: http://ow.ly/c9HFt
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