Despite January’s wild waves and weather, this month is off to a strong start. First and foremost we send our most sincere thanks and gratitude to the over 350 people who came together to raise over $100,000 for our year end campaign. Because of you we are starting 2024 prepared to answer the call when strandings occur. And just like that we have admitted our first pups of the season!
Our First Pup of the Year |
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On Tuesday, January 9 we admitted our first gray seal pup of 2024. She has recently weaned from her mom and was reported to us from Reid State Park in Georgetown. Her tracks left in the snow showed she had a busy few days covering a lot of ground- up to 1/4 mile through the woods- so her first 24 hours at our center were spent sleeping in between receiving IV fluids and medications for a respiratory infection. If she responds well to initial treatments, this very skinny pup will get her first fish soon! Spoiler alert: she didn’t get much time to be the only gray seal pup in our hospital. Yesterday, a second pup needing similar care came in. He was found on the doorstep of a kind and compassionate family several hundred yards from the water during this week’s big storm. Stay tuned for updates on their care. |
A Seal Named Sunshine
| You may remember our group of feisty gray seals from last winter. Author Terry Perkins Mitman was lucky enough to find and report one of them, eventually named Sunshine, to our hotline last January and has now published a book about the experience. In this firsthand account with hand-drawn illustrations, Terry tells Sunshine’s story, from her quiet discovery just beyond the seawall in the author’s front yard, through her rescue and rehabilitation under round-the-clock care at our center, to her eventual release back to the sea. |  |
| You can purchase your copy at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops as well as other online and local bookstores.
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Looking Ahead |
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We’ve started pulling together our schedule of events, including volunteer trainings, educational opportunities and chances to meet up with staff and volunteers in the coming year. If you’re interested in learning more keep an eye on our calendar of events, where you can subscribe for updates. |
