Virginia Beach, Va. - A gray seal rescued by the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team on the Eastern Shore is recovering nicely.
The team has dubbed the seal "Eyegore the Maniac."
"He's very feisty, he's full of life, and then Eyegore is just because his eye came in and was so gory, had lot of discharge so we dubbed him Eyegore the Maniac," explained Live Animal CoordinatorLinda D'Eri.
Eyegore was found on Fisherman Island dehydrated, thin and suffering from an eye infection.
"He's going a lot better now. He's on antibiotics, he's eating on his own now which is great and the best thing we can do for him is get him healthy and weight back on," D'Eri said.
The presence of a seal in Virginia waterways is a bit unusual this time of year - typically they head north to colder waters.
The team caring for Eyegore is being careful to limit his human interactions so that he can hopefully be released up north in a few weeks.
D'Eri says while seals can certainly be cute, Eyegore's story is a good reminder that at heart they are wild animals.
"They will try to protect themselves if they feel threatened. They will try and bite if you get close. They are wild," D'Eri said.
Eyegore is the first seal that the Virginia Aquarium Marine Animal Care Center has cared for in several years.
If you spot a dead or live stranded marine mammal or sea turtle, take action and call the Stranding Response Team's 24-hour hotline at 757-385-7575.
