Seal pup saved while crossing Route 35 in Brick – Asbury Park Press
A 3-month-old seal was found trying to cross the highway in Brick Monday night, according to authorities.
Brick Township police officers had to stop traffic on Route 35 to let the animal cross, the department said in a Facebook post. After that, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center was called and the gray female seal was taken into their care.
The center told police that the pup is being checked by the vet today, said Victoria Finelli, a spokesperson for the Brick Police. The seal will hopefully be released back into the ocean as long as she is healthy, which she appears to be, Finelli said.
As to why the seal would cross the road, the stranding center said it is not uncommon for seals to get lost and leave the ocean, according to Finelli.
In a Facebook post, they also said this is not the first time they have had a seal pup try to cross Route 35, due to its close proximity to both the bay and the ocean.
Route 35 runs along the northern barrier of the island in Ocean County between the ocean and Barnegat Bay. Police said the seal was found right at the split between Brick and Mantoloking.
Jenna Calderón covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com
