Seal removed from streets of New Haven found roaming the sidewalk a day later
NEW HAVEN, CT (WABC) -- A seal was spotted in the streets of New Haven, and a day after an animal rescue team tried to bring him back to water, he found his way back onto the sidewalk.
The sea pup was first found outside a seafood restaurant in New Haven, and police blocked off the street until an animal rescue team from Mystic Aquarium hit the scene.
"I'm sure they thought it was a joke," said New Haven police officer Christian Bruckhart. "It was not. It was a seal in the street."
The rescuers brought him to a beach, hoping he would find his way back to water.
"We're like, 'Well, he's still bright and alert and looking good, but maybe we could just relocate him to a safe beach.' And so our team did do that," said Francesca Battaglia, an animal rescue technician with Mystic Aquarium. "Unfortunately, the next day he showed up right back in the middle of the city."
Battaglia figures the underweight pup's instincts to keep himself safe from other seals that might hurt him were what kept bringing him back to land. But, the seal did not seem to understand that the streets are not safe for him either.
After the second spotting, the aquarium took the pup in and are currently nursing him back to health, with the goal of bringing him back to the water eventually.
"We want him to be able to hunt on his own, and catch what he needs in order to support himself," said Battaglia.
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
