45°
Susie, the grand dame harbor seal of the aquarium, has turned 40, according to the aquarium's blog, making her the third-oldest harbor seal displayed in a zoo or aquarium in the country.
She is older than all but three members of the aquarium’s animal-husbandry staff, who care for her. Join the staff at the seal feeding to sing “Happy Birthday” to the old girl.
Visitors know Susie from her lighter fur color and from the corneal scarring over her eyes.
Harbor seals live into their 20s in the wild and commonly beyond that in zoos and aquariums, where they receive more care.
The only older harbor seals are two 43-year-olds at the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wis.
She and her daughter, Tillie, born in Mystic in 1986, have been at the Maritime Aquarium since its grand opening in 1988.
To read the full blog entry, click here.
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