The following story was shared with us by Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles.
On June 2, 2019, Marine Animal Rescue picked up a skinny Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) pup on Dockweiler beach in Los Angeles.
Elephant seals are born in the winter months of December through February and only stay with their mothers for about 30 days before they are left on their own. They spend most of their time at sea or on the Channel Islands. This means that a 6-month-old elephant seal on the beaches of Los Angeles is out of place.
The small pup was brought to Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles for assessment and treatment. The male pup was small, weighing 97 pounds. For a 6-month-old animal, this is on the small side.
On admission to the hospital, he was given an oral solution containing EmerAid Intensive Care Piscivore, water, electrolytes, and calorie-boosting supplements. EmerAid IC Piscivore is our first line of defense for animals suffering from malnutrition. He was gavage-fed a fish gruel for 12 days while being taught to eat fish. Elephant seal pups are not the best at eating fish, so we have to work with them pretty extensively, one-on-one, until they can successfully eat fish from the bottom of the pool on their own.
On June 15, he started eating fish on his own without assistance. During the rest of his stay he ate well and consistently. He was released on July 26, 2019 weighing 209 pounds.