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Follow on Google News | National Marine Life Center's Seal Patients Make Steady ProgressFirst Seals Arrive for Treatment After NOAA Approval, Caretakers Optimistic
By: National Marine Life Center Townsend, named in honor of co-founder Townsend Horner, arrived from the University of New England’s Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center in Biddeford, Maine. A young, lively male, he had discharge coming out of one ear. A CT scan at the Computerized Scanning and Imaging Facility at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute confirmed that he suffered from middle ear disease. The decision was made to perform surgery, which was successfully done on November 28. Since seals are “voluntary breathers” who hold their breaths when they dive, putting them under anesthesia is always risky. In spite of his infection, he was lively, playful, and hungry in his time in the hospital’s seal tank, indicating otherwise good health. Townsend came through the surgery well, and although there are never any guarantees, the Center is optimistic for his recovery and release. The second seal was rescued close to the facility on Veteran’s Day. A young, underweight female, she was discovered by the Army Corps of Engineers near the Cape Cod Canal, and brought in by the IFAW Marine Mammal Rescue Team with the assistance of NMLC’s Animal Care Coordinator, Kate Shaffer . Named Major Margaret “Hotlips” Houlihan, the beloved character on the hit television series M*A*S*H by Loretta Swit, in honor of women in the military, the Army Corps, and Veteran’s Day, she suffered severe facial wounds. After a few days of tube-feeding with fish gruel, she was tested in both a kiddie pool, and, more recently, in the second tank of the hospital, where she was able to close her nostrils for diving. She explored the tank, rested on the platform, and is now eating fish on her own. Although her prognosis is guarded, she’s made remarkable progress in a short time. You can keep up with Townsend’s and Major Margaret’s progress by visiting the National Marine Life Center web page (www.nmlc.org) and can even watch the seals on webcam. In this season of giving, please consider a donation to help the Center rehabilitate them and prepare for their eventual release. Donation information is available on the site. About the National Marine Life Center The National Marine Life Center is an independent, non-profit 501(c) (3) rehabilitation and release hospital for the treatment of stranded sea turtles and seals, with future plans to expand to treat dolphins, porpoises, and small whales. Their emphasis is to educate the public about the needs and status of these important animals and their environment, and to research their health needs and threats in captivity and in the wild. The Cape Cod area is a hotspot for strandings, with hundreds of animals requiring medical and rehabilitative care every year. “Currently there are no rehabilitative facilities in New England that are capable of holding and treating a cetacean larger than a harbor porpoise,” says Kate Shaffer, the center’s Animal Care Coordinator. “Furthermore, the next nearest seal rehabilitation facilities are located in Maine and Connecticut and there often isn’t enough space to accommodate Massachusetts’ Contact: Kathy Zagzebski Executive Director National Marine Life kzagzebski@nmlc.org PO Box 269, 120 Main Street Buzzards Bay, MA 02532 www.nmlc.org End
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