Please welcome the first new patient of 2014!

On April 30th 2014  around 1pm,  Seacoast Science Center staff arrived with our first new patient of 2014!

“Belmont” is a harbor seal pup that was found at Seabrook Hampton Harbor in New Hampshire. The pup is probably only a day old because it still has it’s umbilicus attached and has not yet shed it’s white lanugo (birth) coat. Most harbor seal pups shed their lanugo coat in utero.

Seacoast Science Center staff first observed the pup on April 29, and monitored him for 24 hours to see whether his mother would return. This is important, because harbor seal moms often leave their pups ashore when they go out to hunt for fish. In Belmont’s case, when his mom didn’t return, the Science Center staff rescued him and brought him to NMLC.

Belmont is named after August Belmont, the builder of the Cape Cod Canal, in honor of the Canal’s Centennial anniversary this year.

When Belmont arrived he was immediately given an admit exam where we checked him over, took a blood sample, weighed, and measured him.  We also tube fed him his first serving of pup formula. He will need to be fed every four hours until he begins to gain weight.

We look forward to having this new patient in our hospital!

You can help Belmont by making an on-line donation towards his food and medical costs. Thank you!