ASSOCIATED PRESS • February 23, 2024
A grey seal found stranded and blind more than a decade ago on an island in Maine has given birth at a Chicago-area zoo and is now “a very attentive mother” to her newborn, zoo officials said Friday. Because of her impaired vision, authorities with the National Marine Fisheries Service decided she could not be released back into the wild. The 11-year-old seal named “Georgie” gave birth on Feb. 17 to a nearly 35-pound male pup at the Brookfield Zoo. He’s gained 15 pounds in his first week on his mother’s extremely rich milk, and has been practicing his swimming skills in a pool, zoo officials said.