PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) is celebrating International Seal Day on Friday, March 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a special event at the Detroit Zoo’s award-winning Arctic Ring of Life. Guests can enjoy zookeeper talks and hands-on activities while developing an understanding of the risks wild seals are facing around the world. Activities are free with Zoo admission.

Zookeeper talks are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., giving guests the opportunity to learn about the personalities and behaviors of gray seals Jersey and Georgie and harbor seal Sidney. Jersey was rescued from the New Jersey shoreline in 2014; Georgie was rescued off the coast of Georgetown, Maine, in 2013; Sidney was also rescued off the coast of Maine in 1981. All three were non-releasable because of medical issues and found sanctuary at the Detroit Zoo.

Educational activities will allow visitors to study the diet of seals by weighing replica fish and learn how blubber serves as insulation for these marine mammals, keeping them warm despite their icy climate. Animal care staff will provide a glimpse into the positive-reinforcement training they use as part of the care provided for the seals and other animals at the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center.

“Our goal is to bring awareness to the issues seals are facing with an engaging learning experience,” said Scott Carter, DZS chief life sciences officer. “We can all help wildlife and wild places by making simple changes in our everyday lives to lighten our impact on the environment.”

Gray seals are found in coastal waters of the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, while harbor seals can be found in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They face manmade threats such as plastic ingestion, oil spills, accidental entanglement in fishing gear and decreased prey availability due to overfishing.