We are so excited to spread the news that Aquarium of Niagara has a new addition to its forever family, a beautiful 2-year-old seal named Medusa.
Medusa was rescued from the coast of Long Island in Riverhead, NY on March 25, 2016. The poor seal was found stranded and taken to a hospital where she was discovered to be visually impaired from cataracts in both eyes. She was then transported to the aquarium for her placement in the rescue harbor on Jan. 6. This is the third visually impaired seal the Aquarium of Niagara has taken under their wing; Sandy and Della also have cataracts.
But Medusa’s impairment doesn’t stop her from reaching her goals. Since joining the aquarium, Medusa is learning new positive behaviors like training with a target pole, which allows her to follow the tapping of the pole and her trainers’ voice as commands.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to bring in a young grey seal like Medusa, not just for the Aquarium but primarily for the public. They will be able to watch her grow and develop further husbandry behaviors,” said Richelle Swem, curator of animal care.
For more information on the Aquarium of Niagara, visit www.aquariumofniagara.org.
