Upon admit, the seal was estimated to be less than two days old. The main concerns found by the ASLC veterinary team during the admit exam were dehydration and its young age. The team is currently providing stabilizing treatments and monitoring her closely. The ASLC will continue to share updates on current patients on their social media pages and the Wildlife Response Rescue and Rehab Journal on the ASLC website.

The Alaska SeaLife Center’s Wildlife Response Program can only provide care for stranded and injured marine animals with help from corporate sponsors and individual donors. People are encouraged to contribute to the care of rehabilitating marine animals here: www.alaskasealife.org/donate. The Center acknowledges the ongoing generous support of the Wildlife Response Program from supporters like ConocoPhillips, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, PetZoo, Partners 4 Wildlife, Matson, GCI,  and a number of individual donors, funds, and foundations such as Stanley J Williams Fund, Mesara Family Foundation, and the NC Giving Fund.

Call first! Before approaching an injured or stranded marine animal in Alaska, call the  24-hour Stranded Marine Animal Hotline at 1-888-774-SEAL(7325). 

The Alaska State Wildlife Troopers were essential in transporting all three pups from the fishing boats to the Cordova Airport to be flown to Anchorage. Once the pups arrived in Anchorage, NOAA staff transported the pups to meet the ASLC Wildlife Response Team along the Seward Highway in Turnagain Pass. After transferring the patients to an ASLC response vehicle, they then completed their journey to the Alaska SeaLife Center for treatment.

The main concerns found by the ASLC veterinary team upon the initial admit exams for all three pups were malnourishment and dehydration. All three pups still had umbilical cords attached, signaling that all were less than a week old. The ASLC will continue to share updates on the patients’ status on their social media pages.

The Alaska SeaLife Center’s Wildlife Response Program can only provide care for stranded and injured marine animals with help from corporate sponsors and individual donors. People are encouraged to contribute to the care of rehabilitating marine animals here: www.alaskasealife.org/donate. The Center acknowledges the ongoing generous support of the Wildlife Response Program from supporters like ConocoPhillips, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, PetZoo, Partners 4 Wildlife, Matson, GCI,  and a number of individual donors, funds, and foundations such as Stanley J Williams Fund, Mesara Family Foundation, and the NC Giving Fund.

Call first! Before approaching an injured or stranded marine animal in Alaska, call the 24-hour Stranded Marine Animal Hotline at 1-888-774-SEAL(7325). 

The Alaska SeaLife Center admitted a northern fur seal pup to the Wildlife Response Program on January 31, 2023. Fur seals are relatively uncommon wildlife response patients, and have not been cared for at the ASLC since 2017.

The female pup, estimated to be around six months old, was seen swimming erratically near the shore in Sitka, Alaska. Her abnormal behavior worried local residents, who reported the pup to the ASLC 24-hour stranding hotline (1-888-774-7325). Sitka is an unusual location to see northern fur seals this time of year, which raised concerns for her survival by ASLC staff. After receiving approval from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the animal was transported to the Center for treatment.

The main concerns found by the ASLC veterinary team upon the initial admit exam were dehydration, malnourishment, and signs of an unknown infection found in her bloodwork. Despite these concerns, she was observed to be active and alert when handled. The team found no evidence of severe physical trauma; however, noted that the pup seems smaller than average for her age. Staff are currently providing initial treatments and examining the patient further to understand more details about her condition. 

The Alaska SeaLife Center’s Wildlife Response Program can only provide care for stranded and injured marine animals with help from federal grants, corporate sponsors, and individual donors. Those interested are encouraged to contribute to the care of rehabilitating marine animals here: www.alaskasealife.org/donate. The Center acknowledges the ongoing generous support of its Wildlife Response Program from companies like ConocoPhillips, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Matson, PetZoo, GCI, and a number of individual donors, funds, and foundations such as The Stanley J. Williams Fund, Mesara Family Foundation, and The NC Giving Fund.