Rescued, Visually Impaired Seal Finds Home At Detroit Zoo

ROYAL OAK (CBS Detroit) – A female grey seal pup from the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center at the University of New England has arrived at her new, permanent home at the Detroit Zoo's Arctic Ring of Life.

She was found stranded on the coast of Georgetown, Maine, by Marine Mammals of Maine. She was deemed non-releasable to the wild by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) due to severely compromised eyesight. Georgie is estimated to be less than a year old.

The seal has been named Georgie after the Maine coastal city where she was found. Weighing only 87 pounds at the time of her arrival in June, Georgie is thriving under the Zoo's care and now weighs about 140 pounds. She joins grey seal Kiinaq, harp seal Pequot and harbor seals Sidney and Freita, all of which were rescued.

"Since Georgie cannot be returned to her natural wild habitat, we are happy to provide her sanctuary at the Detroit Zoo," said Robert Lessnau, Detroit Zoological Society Curator of Mammals. "The Arctic Ring of Life is an amazing habitat and we think she'll do quite well here with our other rescued seals."

Georgie's rescue was the first supported by the newly established Kalter/Lezotte Fund for Wildlife Rescue.

For more information, call 248-541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.