If there’s one thing that everyone loves on the internet, it’s animals.
The web is a treasure trove of adorable animal content, from puppies and dogs to cats and kittens, and the wilder ones like elephants, zebras, and even seals.
Yes, seals. Arctic ones to be exact. Featured in one of the videos from a Japanese aquarium, an artic seal pup experiences water for the very first time.
This first encounter with water comes as a very special occasion.
Most especially to the people in Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.
Last April, a baby ringed seal was born in the wee hours of the morning. It appeared lifeless and was barely moving when it emerged from its mother. At only 55 centimeters and weighing only around 2.5 kilograms, the pup was also showing signs of hypothermia and hypoglycemia.
The breeding staff did whatever it takes for the bub to survive most especially when the aquarium was shut down due to COVID 19.
They stayed with him around the clock and constantly monitored his condition.
20 members of the breeding staff stayed in rotation to observe him for 24 hours. He was also separated from his parents so he can recover quickly and safely.
This also posed a challenge as the seal pup needed to be bottle-fed.
While the aquarium has experience in bottle feeding spotted seals, it was their first time doing so with a ringed seal. They scoured records and sought advice from other aquariums until they found a way to properly feed the young pup.
Thankfully, their efforts bore fruit as the baby seal thrived after post-natal care.
The aquarium finally shared updates about the young pup and the video quickly became viral. Two clips received millions of views and messages of support from people from around the world.
The adorable video shows the little pup encountering water for the first time.
The pup was a bit scared and anxious at first. As its tiny fins touched the water, it looked up to the aquarium staff as if telling him if the water will be nice to him.
It snuggled closer to the staff as it slowly submerged into the water.
But with more coaxing and encouragement, the pup became more confident in the tub.
It swayed its tail to propel and steer itself. What seemed to be a scary experience at first became a new world to discover for the pup. The tub is still a small world but eventually, with his newfound skill, he can discover a bigger underwater world.
It swam into corners, and between the staff member’s legs!
What they thought was a frail pup became a natural swimmer.
Thanks to the effort and the trust of the aquarium members, this pup will now grow up as a majestic seal that will eventually debut to parkgoers.
Ring seals are mostly found in the Northern Hemisphere and certain freshwater lakes. They are especially comfortable in icy waters even those that are filled with ice sheets.
Hopefully, we can help conserve their habitat especially when it’s threatened by climate change and human activity.
Watch how this adorable seal pup goes to his first-ever swim.
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