See it: Injured seal pup attacked by shark found on New Jersey beach
Five sick or injured seals, including four Grey seals and one Harbor seal, are currently being cared for at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
FILE: Shark chasing seal nearly capsizes kayaker in New Zealand
A kayaker captured the heart-stopping moments his vessel was rammed twice by a shark as it hunted a seal in waters off New Zealand’s eastern cape.
A photo released this week shows a seal pup that was rescued after being attacked by a shark in southern New Jersey.
Officials with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) said they received a report of a badly injured seal pup on a Longport beach on Monday.
An MMSC team member was dispatched to the scene, where he found an emaciated, nearly 40-pound Grey seal pup that had a number of cuts roughly arranged in the size and shape of a dinner plate on his abdomen. The animal also had several small puncture wounds on the left side of his mouth, the team member saw.
The injured Grey seal pup.
(Marine Mammal Stranding Center)
The pup was then immediately transported for treatment at the MMSC, where his wounds were cleaned. He was also given supportive care and nutritional support, which involved feeding him a mixture of formula and electrolytes through a tube.
As of Wednesday, MMSC officials said oral and topical medication has been started to ward off infection. Plus, pain medication has been administered to help keep the seal pup comfortable during his recovery.
A veterinarian with the MMSC determined during his medical examination that, based on the seal pup's injuries, he was likely wounded during a predation attempt by a shark.
FILE: Grey seal pups.
(NOAA Fisheries)
Three days after he was found, the pup appears to be making positive strides as he heals from the attack.
"We are very happy to report that this pup is already showing interest in his food and is starting to eat on his own!" officials with the MMSC said, noting that he is now resting comfortably in their facility.
Five sick or injured seals, including four Grey seals and one Harbor seal, are currently being cared for at MMSC.
Grey seals are found along the New England and mid-Atlantic coastlines, according to NOAA. They noted that adult male Grey seals can grow to be 10 feet long and weigh approximately 880 pounds.