LONG BEACH ISLAND, NJ - A grey seal pup caused quite the commotion on Tuesday when she was found napping in the streets of Harvey Cedars, New Jersey.
It was reported that the pup had wandered up a beach path and explored Long Beach Boulevard before taking a nap on the busy street.
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"She was in a very dangerous situation, especially since the pup’s coloration made her look like a lump of snow in the road," the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) said in a Facebook post.
The female seal was spotted by a driver who alerted officials of the situation.
The Harvey Cedars Police Department and the Harvey Cedars Department of Public Works blocked traffic until the MMSC team arrived to collect the pup.
Once the seal arrived at the MMSC hospital, she was given a medical exam where veterinarians determined she was approximately six to eight weeks old. Although she had no injuries, she was significantly underweight for her age.
"The grey seal pup was given critical supportive care and nutritional support through tube-feeding a mixture of formula and electrolytes," the MMSC said. "The stranding technicians are currently assisting with feeding her fish. She is resting comfortably in Pen 2 of the Pool House. This patient is currently in guarded condition."
According to MMSC, the baby seal most likely did not learn how to eat well on her own.
Grey seals typically only nurse for about two weeks and once weaned, they are completely independent.
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Grey seal pups weigh about 30 to 35 lbs when they are born, and by the time they are weaned, they can triple their body weight.
The pups will live off their fat reserves as they learn to hunt for fish on their own.
"It seems this pup wasn't successfully feeding herself, dropping back down to close to birth weight by the time she completed her 300+ mile marathon swim south from the pupping grounds in Canada and New England to New Jersey," MMSC said.
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