Seal pup rescued on NJ street after blizzard is recovering, center says

A seal pup rescued in the streets after the blizzard is recovering at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in New Jersey, the center announced on Wednesday.

The female grey seal pup was found in the middle of Long Beach Boulevard in Harvey Cedars along the beach access path in the early morning hours, according to a MMSC press release. A driver spotted her in the snow and called the police.

The animal was not injured but was very thin, weighing 34.8 pounds at intake, according to the MMSC. Staff estimates the pup to be about six to eight weeks old.

Rescue efforts were made by the Harvey Cedars Police Department and the Harvey Cedars Department of Public Works.

The center said the pup received critical supportive care, including tube feeding with formula and electrolytes and is responding well to treatments.

According to the MMSC, the pup likely struggled to eat on her own after being weaned. Grey seals nurse for about two weeks and are fully independent afterward.

Pups typically weigh 30 to 35 pounds at birth and can triple their weight by weaning, then rely on fat reserves as they learn to hunt.

The center said the pup appeared to have dropped back to near birth weight after swimming more than 300 miles south from pupping grounds in Canada and New England to New Jersey.