Of all the things you'd expect to see strolling down the sidewalk in Ocean City, New Jersey a seal is probably not one of them.
On Wednesday just before 5 p.m., the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said they received calls reporting a seal was seen wandering down the road.
The male Grey seal pup was first spotted by residents after coming ashore at West Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets.
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"The seal moved through a backyard to the sidewalk, then began traveling in the middle of 42nd street where witnesses reported he had a close call with a car," the center said in a Facebook post.
Officer Steve from the Ocean City Police Department was able to block traffic as "the determined seal continued down the road, crossing multiple intersections."
The center said the seal traveled over a quarter of a mile in approximately 20 minutes, heading in the direction of the ocean.
The Stranding Coordinator then safely captured the pup just a hundred yards from the beach ramp.
The pup was exhausted and underweight so he was immediately transported to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
Once in the ICU, the seal was given supportive care via tube feeding a mixture of formula and electrolyte solution for hydration, according to the center.
The center believes the pup is about 4-6 weeks old and his intake weight was 28.8 pounds.
"This is the second seal this season that we have rescued from a roadway, and a good reminder to be careful driving in our shore communities, especially during coastal flood advisories as you never know what you may come across," the center said. "Typically, we see at least one case of a wayward pup stranding in an unusual location every seal season."
If you see a wandering seal, you can report it to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center's 24-hour stranding hotline at 609-266-0538.
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