Seal Pup To Make Debut

Sat., July 22, 2000

From Staff

A northern fur seal pup injured by a male fur seal shortly after his July 7 birth at the Seattle Aquarium is recovering and is about to make his public debut.

The pup, which had been treated at the Woodland Park Zoo animal health center, returned with his mother Baabs to the aquarium on Thursday. Aquarium biologists will move mother and pup into a temporary holding pool on Monday where they will be on public view.

The still-unnamed pup was injured by a 17-year-old male seal named Buster.

Acts of aggression by male northern fur seals are not uncommon, an aquarium spokesperson said. Since the pup was born two weeks earlier than expected, the aquarium’s two adult males, Buster and Al, had not yet been moved from the exhibit.

Plans are to leave Buster and Al in the fur seal habitat and keep the mother and pup in a temporary holding pool being built for them.

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