Earlier this June, a passerby walking near Mountcharles Pier in Donegal, Ireland, noticed something unusual along the marshy shoreline. A bright orange traffic cone was sticking out of the water — and wrapped around it was a tiny gray animal, clinging tightly as if her life depended on it.
Looking closer, the Good Samaritan realized the heartbreaking scene unfolding before them. The small creature was a newborn seal pup, just days old, desperately holding onto the cone because she believed it was her mother.
“She was crying out and even trying to suckle on the traffic cone,” Seal Rescue Ireland general manager Kim Townsend Smyth told The Dodo.
Knowing the pup was in danger, the passerby contacted Seal Rescue Ireland. Rescuers first monitored the area to ensure the pup’s mother wasn’t nearby. When it became clear the pup was truly alone, they carefully freed her from the cone and transported her to the rescue center.
Safe, warm and finally comfortable, the pup — now named Sea Lemon — quickly began winning over everyone she met.
“Sea Lemon is a very serene and bright pup,” Townsend Smyth said. “She has a gentle curiosity about the world. She loves sunbathing and relaxing on her heat mat.”
For now, Sea Lemon remains under the care of Seal Rescue Ireland, where specialists are giving her around-the-clock support to help her grow strong and healthy. While she still has a journey ahead, her rescuers are hopeful she’ll one day return to the ocean where she belongs.
“She’s not out of the woods yet,” Townsend Smyth said, “but she’s eating well, progressing nicely, and we’re all keeping our flippers crossed for her.”
Those who’d like to help support Sea Lemon’s recovery can “adopt” her through a donation on the Seal Rescue Ireland website.
