The first harbour seal pup born at the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre has been cleared to be released into the wild, the Vancouver Aquarium said Tuesday (Oct.12).
Dory was born in the centre after her mom, Donnelly, was rescued in May when she was found with serious head trauma.
The centre believes she is the same seal that was reported to be hit by a boat in Indian Arm – east of North Vancouver – but wasn’t found right away. Donelly was admitted to the centre in grave condition.
Staff at the centre then discovered that Donnelly, who at first was not expected to survive, was pregnant. She gave birth to Dory in July, two months after she was first rescued.
Although Donnelly cannot be released due to her injuries, she has been transferred to the Vancouver Aquarium. Dory is now scheduled to be released into the wild.
In May of this year, Donnelly, was admitted with serious head trauma, and our team at the Marine Mammal Rescue later discovered that she was also pregnant. We are happy to announce that Dory, the baby harbour seal will be released and Donnelly is now at Vancouver Aquarium! pic.twitter.com/pcmMDVguVU
— Vancouver Aquarium (@vanaqua) October 12, 2021
