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RESCUED SEAL WILL RETIRE IN NIAGARA

ZoeyA 3-year old, female Atlantic harbor seal has recently been acquired by the Aquarium of Niagara. The seal, who has been given the improbable name of Zoey, weighs in at 107 pounds and had been found stranded on a Massachusetts beach in 2009, suffering from a severe ear infection that made it impossible for her to hunt food.

 Zoey now lives in the outdoor harbor seal exhibit, just inside the front gate of the Aquarium of Niagara, with four other female seals, who were at one time rescued and placed in captivity because they could not survive in the wild.

 Zoey, after being rescued by the New England Aquarium, was transferred to the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center at the University of New England where she had surgery for her ear infection.  She was a pioneer in human surgical operations on animals-- the first seal to have this procedure.

 In the past, a seal in Zoey’s condition would have been euthanized, since they could not be healed with antibiotics. Zoey’s surgery was similar to putting tubes in a human ear to drain out fluid. The seriousness of the infection and the surgery, made her unable to return to the wild since Zoey cannot dive to required depths to hunt for food.

 The National Marine Fisheries Service offered Zoey to the Niagara Aquarium. 
Nancy Chapin, executive director, Jenn Humphrey, marine mammal supervisor and Dr. Ed Latson, attending veterinarian, drove to fetch Zoey and bring her back to her new home. After being quarantined for 30 days in the Aquarium’s hospital pool, Zoey was introduced to the other harbor seals.

 Senior trainers had begun training her while she was quarantined.

 “This helps to build a positive and strong relationship with the trainers before they go on exhibit,” said Ms. Humphrey.
 Zoey is now performing alongside of Lucy and Sandy who are both 32 and have been here more than 30 years; Clarice is 30, and Cady is 8.
 The female seals or cows live together at the Aquarium in a pool of 19,000 gallons that at its deepest is nine feet, and is kept at least 65 degrees cool. It is not known if the all-female group has ever seen a male harbor seal or bull. 

In the wild, nature has imbued the males with a desire to fight for the right to mate underwater and on land. Females mate therefore with the strongest bulls and generally bear a single pup. Sometimes a bull will keep a harem.

 Pups are able to swim and dive within hours of birth, and they develop quickly on their mothers' fat-rich milk.

 As for Zoey, “It was easy going,” Ms. Humphrey said “There was not any signs of aggression form the others… Harbor seals don’t live in groups like sea lions. Harbor seals have their own little areas.”

 At the Aquarium, the seals eat a diet of herring, smelts, capelin and squid. An attraction called “Wanna Feed A Seal?” operates at 12 and 2 PM Saturdays and Sundays where anyone can purchase a cup of frozen, raw fish and make the choice to either eat it themselves or toss it to the harbor seals. The money goes to buy more fish and mollusks for the voracious seals. They eat about 6 to ten pounds of food per day.

 Harbor seals seem to have 34 to 36 teeth. The front teeth are pointed and sharp, well adapted for grasping and tearing but not really chewing their food. Their back teeth are ideal for crushing shells and crustaceans and a seal could eat a dozen clams without taking them out of the shell.

 

 

Niagara Falls Reporter www.niagarafallsreporter.com May 22, 2012