Community Corner
Baby Seal Rescued in Palo Alto
They're calling her "Floodgate Dolly." Just five weeks old, this seal was on her own and not faring well.
A tiny harbor seal, weighing just 20 pounds, was rescued from San Francisco Bay near the Mayfield Slough tidal gate in Palo Alto Tuesday, the first time in more than 20 years that a seal has been rescued from a Palo Alto waterway.
The tiny creature has been taken to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito for proper care and rehabilitation. She will eventually be released back into the wild. Until then, she’ll be known by her nickname “Floodgate Dolly.”
Dolly was scooped up in a net by City of Palo Alto Animal Control Officers Cody Macartney and William Warrior. They held her until a truck from the Marine Mammal Center arrived to transport her.
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The seal is estimated to be five weeks old. She looks like she’s far too young to be on her own, but experts say she was probably just weaned and left to fend for herself. At the Marine Mammal Center she’ll get nutrient-rich milk to fatten her up, and then she’ll be introduced to fish. The process will take months.
If you spot a distressed animal, call the Marine Mammal Center at 425-289-7325.
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