Grey Seal Pups Make Brookfield Debut

BROOKFIELD, IL — Visitors to Brookfield Zoo’s Pinniped Point will now be able to see the two grey seals who were born in January, according to a zoo news release. The female pups, named Peanut and Celia, were born on Jan. 9 and 10, respectively.

For the last month, the young grey seals also have been developing strong relationships with the animal care staff in their behind-the-scenes environment, according to the news release. This is seen as important as the pups begin exploring and learning behaviors that will be important for their future care.

A part of developing these bonds with the pinnipeds includes hand feeding every animal. This is critical for Peanuts and Celia to ensure they are getting the right amounts of food for proper growth and development, the release said. Currently, they both are eating between five to seven pounds of fish daily.

Once both are comfortable with their new outdoor environment, they will be given access to the other three areas at Pinniped Point and will meet some of the other grey seals and sea lions.

The pups look nothing like they did at birth when they were covered with long, white fur called lanugo, the release said. This white coat is molted in two to four weeks and replaced with shorter, stiffer hair similar to that of adults. Peanut and Celia have shed their white fur and have put on significant weight since their birth due to their mothers’ extremely rich milk.

“These two grey seal pups are such a joy to watch, and we are excited for guests to now be able to see Peanut and Celia,” Rita Stacey, marine mammal curator for the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages the zoo, said in a statement. “Brookfield Zoo is one of only 10 facilities in North America to feature the species. Giving people the opportunity to see them here, we hope to share some of the threats their counterparts face in the wild and ways to help protect these charismatic pinnipeds.”