A badly injured seal was rescued after it was found lying on the beach in Surf City, Long Beach Island.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said on Monday, their Stranding Technicians found a male Harbor seal suffering from a large laceration on his left hip and multiple smaller wounds on his abdomen and around his tail.
"The yearling, likely born last spring, was immediately transported to MMSC for medical treatment and supportive care. Upon his arrival, staff administered fluids and flushed out his wounds," the non-profit wrote in a Facebook post.
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The MMSC's veterinarian had determined the likely cause of the seal's injuries was a shark bite.
The seal is being nursed back to health at the MMSC and its recovery includes feeding time in the I-C-U.
"He's definitely a lot more lively than he was when he first was admitted," Michele Pagel, assistant director of the MMSC, said.
Experts say the seals wounds likely came from a shark bite.
"We're seeing more sharks, more seals, and obviously put the two together and we're gonna have more interactions," Jay Pagel with the center said.
The MMSC was alerted of the seal laying on the beach injured from people who spotted it and gave them a call.
"It's amazing that the people that found him knew what to do because they saw one of our signs," Michele said.
The rescue organization's "Give Seals Space" awareness campaign has more than 125 signs posted along the coast in Atlantic, Ocean, Cape May and Monmouth Counties, and is in its third year. It urges people to keep themselves and their pets at least 150 feet away from seals.
"People are realizing, you know, they're not pets. They're not cute and cuddly. They're not like the ones you see in any of the marine parks or aquariums," Jay said.
The wounded seal is expected to be at the center for another month before returning to the wild.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is asking for donations to help give the seal the extra care it needs. If you would like to donate you can visit mmsc.org.
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