The Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles Saves A Northern Fur Seal

The following story was shared with us by Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles.

On January 7, 2021, a northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) was picked up from the Santa Monica Pier in California and brought to Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles.

The fur seal had an identification tag, which meant it had already spent time in a rehabilitation hospital. Given the tag information, we found out that he had been in a rehabilitation facility in Northern California close to San Francisco. In just over one month, he swam from Northern California to Southern California. Weighing only 15 pounds, he had lost almost half his body weight during his journey and came to our hospital malnourished, dehydrated, and lethargic.

To combat malnutrition and dehydration, he was given an oral solution containing EmerAid Intensive Care Piscivore and water. EmerAid Intensive Care Piscivore is our first line of defense for animals suffering from malnutrition.

On admission to the hospital he did have enough strength to eat a couple of whole fish. After being administered EmerAid Intensive Care Piscivore during his first 24 hours with us, he started to stabilize, and his appetite began to increase. He was swimming in a pool and eating fish on his own by his third day in the hospital.

He continued to gain weight and compete well with others, so he was determined ready to be released. He was released off Santa Cruz Island on March 4, 2021, weighing 29 pounds.