On the evening of January 22, the Arkhangelsk regional rescue service received a report about an injured seal. Workers had discovered it not far from road repairs on the Severodvinsk-Arkhangelsk highway. MMBI RAS Laboratory of Marine Mammals Senior researchert, Candidate of Biological Sciences Vladislav Svetochev, arrived on the scene to capture the animal and assess its condition. The examination determined it was a yearling harp seal. The lost animal was looking for the sea and got lost, sustaining minor injuries. According to the scientist's assessment, the wound was fully capable of healing in the natural environment. Vladislav Nikolayevich also pointed out that the harp seal must be released in such a way that it would not have to search for its native element again, risking getting lost once more.
After the examination, the animal was transported by car in a net to the base of the Arkhangelsk Arctic Emergency Rescue Center (EMERCOM of Russia). Then, rescuers from the Arctic Center transported it on a hovercraft to the Chizhovsky Roadstead area and released it.
Harp seals (and other seals) often swim to northern shores to rest and sometimes end up very close to people. This can be dangerous both for the seals and for humans. Following the operation, the rescuers recorded a message from Vladislav Nikolayevich to northern residents, asking for careful treatment of these sensitive and defenseless animals on shore.
Photo: Arkhangelsk Regional Rescue Service
