FedEx delivers wild grey seal to Albuquerque
Posted at: 08/22/2012 11:14 PM
By: Danielle Flores, KOB.com
 ABQ BioPark Zoo new arrival |
FedEx delivers a lot of packages to Albuquerque, but you would be hard pressed to find a shipment as unusual as the one that arrived on Wednesday.
KOB Eyewitness News 4 was there when the much-anticipated grey seal arrived off the cargo jet in a blue plastic crate and transported to the ABQ BioPark Zoo.
The six to eight-month old male was rescued from a beach in New Jersey back in March. They soon discovered that his back flippers were partially paralyzed.
The rescue center in New Jersey put out a call for someone to take in the young, wild seal, and Albuquerque's zoo responded.
"They don't really know what happened to him," said zoo veterinarian Ralph Zimmerman. "He has a big scar on the back of his head. They don't know if that's related to it. They x-rayed his lower body...couldn't specifically come up with damage. But he really can't use them."
With a little care and guidance, the zoo thinks he will fit in just fine in Albuquerque.
"He's developed a lot of strength in his upper body and with his front flippers," Zimmerman explained. "He can pull himself up. He's still functional in a pool like this, but he would have never made it in the wild."
The young grey seal is in quarantine, but will probably be out for the public to see in 30 to 45 days.
The zoo said it is going to hold a contest to decide on a name for him.
 |
Tweet |
|
