@vanaqua / Twitter
The 麻豆传媒映画Aquarium is currently rehabilitating a one-year-old harbour seal after it was seriously injured with a birdshot.
The young seal was rescued from Kits Beach on February 18 by the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre who found her emaciated and lethargic. The team assessed her condition and determined that she was shot many weeks ago, as the wounds were already beginning to heal over the 23 pellets embedded in her face.
麻豆传媒映画 spoke to Dr. Martin Haulena, head veterinarian at the 麻豆传媒映画Aquarium, who explained what they will have to do in order to rehabilitate their newest rescue, named Jessica Seal by the Rescue Centre.
"She's completely blind in one eye, but we have yet to determine how much sight she has in the other eye," he explained."She currently has compromised vision in her healthier eye, and therefore she isn't able to track fish. As a result, we are giving her anti-inflammatories in order to help bring down the swelling."
Dr. Haulena also noted that there is a chance that Jessica seal may not be able to return to the ocean.
"It really depends on whether she'll be able to track fish on her own and respond to stimuli in her environment. For example, after she begins to heal we can change her surroundings and observe how she responds. We'll also try to have her track some live fish on her own."
鈥淲e have no way of knowing who did this,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can tell you that she鈥檚 been suffering for several weeks, and we don鈥檛 know if she鈥檚 going to recover her eyesight enough to be released.鈥�
On Friday, veterinary specialists assessed the animal under anaesthetic to determine how much vision she has remaining, and to remove some of her damaged teeth.
鈥淭he person who did this would have known they wouldn鈥檛 kill her with birdshot. It was intended to hurt her, and it did,鈥� said Haulena. 鈥淭he conflict on the water between humans and seals is not new 鈥� they want some of the same fish. I do worry people now feel more comfortable taking aim because they鈥檝e been hearing seals are the bad guys, and they鈥檙e not.鈥�
Jessica seal is the fifth animal that has been rescued by the centre in the past few years. Last month, 麻豆传媒映画Aquarium veterinarians travelled to Washington State to perform surgery on a pregnant seal shot in the head during a fishing derby.
麻豆传媒映画Aquarium
麻豆传媒映画Aquarium
麻豆传媒映画Aquarium
@vanaqua / Twitter
If you see a marine mammal that you believe is in distress: stay back, keep people and pets away, call the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre at 604-258-SEAL (7325), or the DFO hotline at 1-800-465-4336.
You can help out by donating to the .
