Tiny, Days-Old Seal Pup Rescued from Long Island Beach After Abandonment

A tiny seal pup has been rescued from a Long Island beach after being abandoned by her mother. Only a few days old, the baby seal was transported to a marine mammal hospital by the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation.

The seal pup was first found on Saturday, June 1. About two and a half feet long, the animal still had her umbilical cord attached, according to NBC New York. Yet what is truly disheartening is the fact that the pup may not have been truly abandoned. The mother may have wanted to come back, but was deterred by the large number of people surrounding the seal. Unwilling to take chances, though, authorities took the seal pup to a local facility.

Atlantic harbor seals, like the seal pup abandoned on the beach, can be found along the North Atlantic coasts from Canada and Greenland all the way through New York. In fact, some occasionally swim as far south as Florida. Known to rest and raise their pups on sandy and rocky beaches, they mainly eat fish and squid. Growing to about 150 to 300 pounds, males can stretch as much as six feet long.

The Atlantic harbor seal population is currently stable, which means that it's not at risk for extinction. That said, there are exceptions to the rule. The Greenland, Hokkaido and Baltic Sea populations have been reduced or eliminated through disease and conflict with humans.

Fortunately for the seal pup, though, she's in good hands. The Riverhead Foundation is planning on releasing the pup, now named Penny, back into the wild once she's old enough, which means that they're limiting her exposure to humans, according to Long Islands News 12. Currently, the foundation is tube-feeding her formula in order to allow her to recover her strength.

Want to see Penny the seal pup for yourself? You can check out a video of her and learn more about her here.