topic Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island in Community Chat

Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

KingstonsMom — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 20:13:09 GMT

Police were called to assist a wayward traveler in Southampton, New York, Sunday after a baby seal was spotted scooting through a traffic circle.

"Some of our officers responded and found a baby harbor seal in the roadway," a Facebook post from the Southampton Town Police Department said.

Residents called police after the seal was seen wandering through a Long Island parking lot, police Sgt. Jim Cavanagh told CNN. The seal made its way toward the entrance of a nearby hotel before it was contained in the traffic circle, Cavanagh said.

"What we believe happened is that the seal swam up the Peconic River, probably behind a big school of alewife fish," Cavanagh explained. "The seal probably climbed up out of the river ending up in a park. There, it probably just got turned around and then traveled somewhere between 500 and 700 feet into the traffic circle."

The New York Marine Rescue Center sent a team to help retrieve the baby seal and it was brought to a rehabilitation center in Riverhead, rescue center program director Maxine Montello told CNN.

"The animal is in good condition," Montello said. "We just think he wandered a little too far from the beach. Hopefully we'll be able to get him back to the beach as soon as possible."

Montello said cases like this are uncommon but not unprecedented. A seal was recently found underneath someone's car and another was found in a Staten Island backyard several years ago, she said.

Harbor seals are usually seen resting on rocks and beaches along the coast and spend their time foraging for fish, shellfish and crustaceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Montello noted we are entering "seal season," when seals and humans are using Long Island beaches at the same time, and calls to the rescue hotline increase.

Seals are federally protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and experts say people should keep a minimum distance of 150 feet from the animals.

Correction: An earlier version of this story gave the wrong river where the seal traveled. It was the Peconic River.

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

lovemybichonfrise — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 20:42:31 GMT

Glad he was saved, poor little guy.

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

KingstonsMom — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 20:46:43 GMT

@lovemybichonfrise

Me too. little cutie!

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

BlueFinch — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 21:10:13 GMT

Oh, poor little guy. I hope they help him find his way back home soon.

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

ECBG — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 21:12:30 GMT

What a surprising story!!! Bless his little heart!

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

KingstonsMom — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 21:25:04 GMT

@ECBG

I know, right?

Can you imagine the little guy is looking around a parkling lot thinking, "WHOA! Where am I and where is the beach???"

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

Boomernichols — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 21:49:28 GMT

@KingstonsMom Bless its heart! Good to hear that he/she was found and will be returned to the safety of the water.

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

Spurt — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 22:01:10 GMT

poor little guy glad he was rescued ....

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

KingstonsMom — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 23:20:33 GMT

And kudos to the passersby who notified the police it was there!

Restores my faith in some of mankind.........

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

KingstonsMom — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:42:32 GMT

***Update***

Today the Wildlife Medical facility where it's being treated said that they have one more blood test to do before sending him/her along to a rehab facility, then once fully recovered, on to a zoo, etc.

Sadly the seal should still be in the ocean, depending on his Mom, so it can't be returned to the ocean alone, it wouldn't survive.

Poor little one, but at least it's alive.

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

sophiesofers — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 17:32:37 GMT

Adorable little baby seal, thank God that he was rescued.

Re: Baby Seal Rescued From Traffic On Long Island

CatsyCline — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 17:56:52 GMT

Aww so cute. I He is sooo lucky to have been rescued i know that area, the traffic circle is just INSANE its been there for ever but they made it into 2 lanes when you are the circle people cut you off constantly.

I know the river there my Dad had a shop nearby the circle and we fished off the bridge where the Alewives swim we called them Bunkers there were hundreds of them swimming like a moving carpet of silver

I think the seals get brave this time of year and wander. In 2009 i was walking at the ocean beach nearby and it was April 5th my Dad birthday. A baby seal had washed up by waters edge. He was so cold anf frightened. I call theTown police line and it took a while but the sent a team from Riverhead Aquarium over and happly he was rescued! The team said it looked like he had a cold or was sonehow sick..

So happy that people care for our ocean freinds!!