New Haven, Conn. — A baby seal found stranded on a street near Yale University last month has died from severe digestive issues, a local aquarium announced Monday.
Mystic Aquarium announced the death of “Chappy,” a nod to Chapel Street in New Haven where he was rescued.
“It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of Chappy, the gray seal pup we had been treating in our Animal Rescue Clinic,” the aquarium wrote on Facebook.
” … The Mystic Aquarium staff are proud that they were able to give Chappy the best chance possible and are devastated by this outcome,” . “The reality of working with stranded animals can be tough sometimes, but Chappy was surrounded by love until the very end.”
Mystic Aquarium / Facebook
CBS Hartford affiliate WFSB-TV noted that the New Haven Police Department, which helped rescue Chappy, also expressed its sadness over his death, saying on Facebook, “We would like to thank everyone who reached out, it was amazing to see how many people this story touched, and especially Mystic Aquarium for their efforts to help our little buddy.”
The underweight gray seal pup was brought to the clinic Feb. 16 after being spotted by a passerby, who reported to police that the animal was potentially injured.
The seal, which was believed to be about 5 to 6 weeks old, was more than 1,000 feet from the nearest river.
The aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut, said Chappy had been responding well to treatment for dehydration, malnutrition and mild pneumonia but began having digestive difficulties as he transitioned to eating whole fish.
A necropsy found Chappy suffered from “mesenteric torsion,” a challenging condition in which his intestines were “twisted around the mesentery, cutting off blood supply to a large portion of the gastrointestinal tract,” according to the aquarium.
“Unfortunately, despite all the efforts, his gastrointestinal issues were too severe to treat, and he succumbed to his disease,” the aquarium said.
Gray seals are found in coastal waters across the North Atlantic Ocean and typically feast on fish, crustaceans, squid, octopus and sometimes seabirds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
