Healed seal is free, does swimmingly
Published: August 5, 2005
He’s free. Rescue workers worried that the baby seal they saved 10 months ago would be skittish at the sight of the rough waves, but Wicket dashed for the water - happy to be home.
“He was squirming in his cage and he wanted to get out,” said 12-year-old Kenny Akinola, who huddled near the Jones Beach shoreline yesterday with her Westbury classmates.
The marine science students did not want to miss Wicket’s much anticipated bon voyage. The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation found the 30-pound male harbor seal on Oct. 22, 2004, in Hampton Bays.
“He had cuts all over his body and it took three types of antibiotics to make him better,” said the rescue program’s director Kim Durham.
Now, healthier and weighing 50 pounds heavier, Wicket entertained his young fans as he darted, bobbed and frolicked in the waves.
“He was always playful with himself, but he wanted nothing to do with us,” said Durham, who discourages her team from taming the animals.
As Wicket remained close to the coastline, Durham remained confident the seal would soon begin swimming out to sea.
“It takes him a while to get his bearings straight, but eventually he’ll head north,” she said, recalling a seal released two weeks ago in Westhampton that has been reported near Maine.
The research team keeps tabs on the seals through devices that allow the rescuers to monitor their movement and behavior. Each tag can cost from $2,000 to $4,000, Durham said, which is why the nonprofit group relies heavily on fund-raising and donations through the seal adoption program.
“We’re looking to adopt seals in the future and raise money to purchase a tracking device,” said Brumsic Brandon, director of marine science for the Westbury school district.
Brandon said his summer school students plan to track Wicket’s journey via the foundation’s Web site.
The foundation has rescued 160 seals this year, but Durham expects the number to grow with the busy winter season approaching.
Since they are the only rescue team in the state, they rely on the help of police and beach security to find the animals in need. But she would also like to see the public pitch in.
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