March 23, 2008

ELEPHANT SEAL PERISHES DESPITE RESCUE EFFORTS

Vancouver, BC: The elephant seal stranded March 11, 2008 on Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver has failed to survive, even after the extensive effort by Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue team to save the animal.

Medical tests conducted in the past week showed normal results and the Rescue team was hoping to release the seal this weekend. Unfortunately, the young male elephant seal was discovered to have perished (sometime between the evening of March 20 and early morning of March 21).

“The initial post-mortem examination did not determine a cause of death,” said Martin Haulena, Veterinarian, Vancouver Aquarium.

The primary goal of the Marine Mammal Rescue Program is to provide housing and care for ill, injured, or abandoned marine mammals and to rehabilitate them for release back into their natural habitat.  Please visit the Marine Mammal Rescue website for more information: http://www.vanaqua.org/mmrr/

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For more information, please contact:

Kent Hurl

Public Relations

Vancouver Aquarium

publicrelations@vanaqua.org