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A young gray seal whose hind flippers are paralyzed is on his way to Albuquerque’s BioPark, where zookeepers will care for him and introduce him to the zoo’s other seals and sea lions.
Experts at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in New Jersey rescued the seal and rehabilitated him. He was found stranded in March, with a head wound and limited mobility in his hind flippers.
The seal can’t be released back to the wild, but he’s expected to do well in the BioPark’s seal exhibit.
Lynn Tupa, Albuquerque’s zoo manager, said the young seal will live in quarantine behind the scenes for about a month, then go on display.
“We will have time during the quarantine for the seal to connect with keepers and meet the other seals and sea lions through fencing,” she said in a written statement. “… When he moves into the big exhibit, he will know to come to the keeper holding the bright pink Frisbee for fish.”
The seal propels himself with his front flippers, which is unusual. He weighs about 100 pounds.
The city plans to post updates and allow voting on the seal’s name at facebook.com/abqbiopark.
-- Email the reporter at dmckay@abqjournal.com. Call the reporter at 505-823-3566
