A young porpoise found near death in Horseshoe Bay last month is recuperating swimmingly thanks to a rescue effort by the Vancouver Aquarium.
The six-week-old calf, dubbed Jack by aquarium staff, was discovered stranded on a beach near the ferry terminal Sept. 16 after having likely been abandoned by its mother.
The 12-kilogram animal was having trouble breathing, its muscles and skin were severely damaged from its time on land and it could no longer swim.
Workers rushed Jack to the facilitys Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, where they put it in a tank on a floatation device. The water was warmed to help compensate for the animals loss of blubber.
Staff and volunteers began medicating the harbour porpoise and feeding it a fish-based formula every 90 minutes around the clock. In the weeks since, Jack has slowly been getting better.
He seems to be regaining some strength, said rescue centre manager Lindsaye Akhurst. Hes out of his sling four times a day for over an hour at a time. Someone is in the pool with him while hes swimming, which he really enjoys just for support.
In the coming days, the aquarium will slowly be increasing Jacks food intake, and reducing the frequency of feeding. They will also be encouraging more exercise, in an effort to start the process of muscle repair.
The rescue centre team remains cautious about (Jacks) chances of survival, but is encouraged by his progress so far, thanks to the tremendous effort by staff and volunteers, said a representative in a release.
This is the third harbour porpoise to be treated at the centre this year.
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