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Photos of rescued seal pup at the Central Park Zoo Photos in the news mongabay.com April 13, 2007 Baby seal introduced to new home
The pup, named Seven, was rescued last September by Marine Animal Lifeline, a group based in Maine that rehabilitates stranded animals and aims to release them back into the wild. They determined that Seven wouldn't be able to survive in the wild due to an impairment in her hind flipper, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which runs Central Park Zoo. "The little seal needed a home, and wound up with a prestigious Fifth Avenue address at the Central Park Zoo, joining resident harbor seals Herbie and Nicky," said Kate McIntyre of the Central Park Zoo. Seven is a western Atlantic harbor seal (Phoca vitulina concolor), a species that ranges from the icy waters of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic down to New Jersey, though some individuals occasionally show up in Florida. The American and Canadian populations are thought to total about 60,000-70,000 seals. Its close relatives include the eastern Atlantic harbor seal of Europe; the eastern Pacific harbor seal which ranges from Alaska to Baja California; the western Pacific harbor seal which ranges from the Aleutian islands to Hokkaido, Japan; and the Ungava seal, found in freshwater lakes in northern Quebec. Harbor seals are still culled by fishermen who believe they reduce fish catches. Some harbor seal populations are now in decline for unknown reasons, while others are recovering after heavy culling in the 1960s and 1970s. The eastern Pacific harbor seal is the most abundant sub-species of harbor seals Seven can be seen in her new home at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. Comments? News options News index | RSS | Add to MyYahoo! Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
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