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Eloise, the grey seal pup, rescued from Cape Henlopen in Delaware

Grey Seal Pup Eloise Arrives at the National Aquarium

 

(Baltimore, Md.) The National Aquarium is currently caring for a grey seal pup, estimated to be less than one month old and rescued from Cape Henlopen, Delaware, at its Animal Care and Rescue Center. The new rescue patient has been nicknamed Eloise, in keeping with the naming theme of famous storybook characters.

 Eloise the seal was rescued on February 12, in coordination with the Marine Education Research and Rehabilitation Institute (MERR). After being triaged at the MERR facility in Lewes, Delaware, Eloise was transported to the National Aquariumโ€™s Animal Care and Rescue Center on February 14. Upon arrival for rehabilitation, the Aquariumโ€™s Animal Health and Rescue teams determined Eloise was malnourished with a few lacerations on her neck. Eloise was initially hydrated and nourished through an oral feeding tube, but as the team continued to work with her, Eloise quickly progressed to the next stage in her rehabilitation. 

Courtesy of the National Aquarium Photographer Theresa Keil.

 Due to Eloiseโ€™s young age, she is still considered maternally-dependent pup, meaning that if she were in her natural habitat, she would be relying on her mother for milk. Therefore, her rehabilitation is focused on teaching her how to eat fishโ€”a skill that she normally would learn from her mother. Currently, Eloise has been far exceeding expectations by eating fish on her own. In addition, Eloise also has full-time pool access for swimming and other enrichment activities.

 โ€œPippi and Eloise are unique cases for the Mid-Atlantic because they have stranded when they are still young enough to be maternally-dependent,โ€ said Jennifer Dittmar, director of animal rescue at the National Aquarium. โ€œThere could be many reasons for this to be happening including storms, a human interaction that scared off the mom, maternal instincts that havenโ€™t kicked in or birthing complications.โ€

 In 2020, the Animal Health and Rescue teams cared for their first-ever maternally-dependent seal, Pippi Longstocking, who was successfully rehabilitated and released after nine months. Eloise is weighing in at just 28 pounds and she will need to double her weight before she will be eligible for release. To keep up with Eloiseโ€™s journey, follow the National Aquarium social channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok.

Ann
Annhttps://www.oceancity.com
Ann has been with StateVentures since 1999. She moved from Annapolis to Berlin, MD to be closer to Ocean City. She splits her work week between the two locations to help clients and visitors get the best information and value out of our sites. She loves a camera and any excuse to use it.ย  Her kids are both grown and off adventuring.ย  Ann loves to travel with her kids and lives with her dog Marley when she's not in Virginia fishing.

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