Photo: Des Moines Blank Park Zoo
(Des Moines, IA) -- The Des Moines Blank Park Zoo says a seal pup born last month is doing well. It weighed 30-pounds at birth and has gained nearly 50-pounds. A naming contest is underway.
Keepers will now begin the process of introducing her to the outdoor habitat, Hub Harbor, with her mother ‘Meru,’ her father, ‘Ross,’ and three California sea lions, ‘Addy’, ‘Zoey,’ and ‘Meatball.’ Harbor seal pups wean from their mothers at four to six weeks, so there will be times during the next couple of months that she will not be available for viewing.
Blank Park Zoo is asking for help from the public in naming the seal pup. From now through Wednesday, September 23, go to blankparkzoo.com/vote for the name. The choices are:
Brooks (in honor of keeper favorite, Garth Brooks)
Mira
Siku
Remi
The winning name will be announced on Friday, September 25.
The parents, ‘Meru’ and ‘Ross’ were deemed non-releasable rescue animals because of injuries and ailments sustained in the wild, and Blank Park Zoo gave them a permanent home in October 2011 and they made their official debut when the Hub Harbor seal and sea lion pool opened in early 2012.
This is the third seal pup born at Blank Park Zoo. ‘Monty,’ a male seal pup was born in 2018, and ‘Lucy,’ was born in 2019.