Meet Brookfield Zoo's newest, fluffiest resident: A grey seal pup

BROOKFIELD, Ill. - Brookfield Zoo has welcomed a new resident, and his fluffy face is surely one you'll remember. 

A grey seal male pup was born Feb. 17 at the zoo to his 11-year-old mother, Georgette, or "Georgie," weighing in at 35 pounds. 

Zoogoers won't be able to see the seal pup just yet, as he'll remain behind the scenes with his mother for the next month and a half. 

However, the zoo will be posting updates about the seal pup on its social media channels. 

The seal pup has been introduced to a pool that allows him "easy access out of the water when he's not practicing his swimming skills," the zoo says. 

This is also Georgie's first time as a mother since she arrived at Brookfield in 2020, according to zoo officials. 

Before her arrival, she was found stranded in 2013 on an island in Georgetown, Maine. She reportedly was fully blind in her left eye and partially blind in her right eye.

Due to her eye problems, she was unable to return to the wild. 

"Even with her loss of vision, Georgie is being a very attentive mother to her pup," said Mark Gonka, associate director of marine mammal care and conservation. "Grey seals have a keen sense of smell as well as a repertoire of vocalizations. Georgie is able to locate her pup by his distinct smell and call."

Since the pup's birth, he's gained 15 pounds. The zoo says given the high fat content in his mother's milk, it's not unusual for the pup to gain several pounds a day. 

Over the next few weeks, he could gain about 100 pounds. But, once he's weaned off of the milk, he'll be put on a fish diet. 

To learn more about the seal pup, or to plan your visit to the zoo, follow this link.