Seal pup couldn’t hold her head up, Maine rescuers say. Now, it’s a different story

When rescuers found the harbor seal pup in Biddeford, Maine, she was less than three months old. In those first moments, staff with Marine Mammals of Maine said they immediately noticed something disturbing about the little one.

She could barely hold her head up.

They took her into rehab to begin the process of bringing her back to health to have a fighting chance of surviving in the wild, the nonprofit said in an announcement on Facebook on July 29.

Now, after three weeks at the center, the young seal is doing much better, the group said. She is not only able to hold her head up, but she is fully mobile and able to chase fish underwater. However, she still has a ways to go before she can return to the ocean.

“She is far from out of the woods and we’re still unsure what her final outcome will be,” the group said in the Facebook post.

With the announcement of the pup’s progress, the organization posted multiple photos of the little one gazing into the camera. One shot shows her swimming in the water.

“Her hard-fought progress deserves a little recognition and a slight sigh of relief,” the group said.

This story was originally published August 2, 2024 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Seal pup couldn’t hold her head up, Maine rescuers say. Now, it’s a different story."