WELLS — When a young harp seal found his way onto the road near the boat launch in Wells Harbor over the weekend, he caused quite a stir in town and on Facebook.

“We started getting calls at 10:30 on Sunday morning that a baby seal was stuck up on the snow,” said Wells 911 dispatcher Saundra Skoczn.

Wells animal control officers responded, and by the time they arrived on the scene, the seal had dragged itself up onto the road.

“It was a nice day and about 30 people drove by in their cars. The animal was attracting a lot of attention. It is not uncommon to see seals on the beach, but with such a large crowd, the officers were worried the attention would stress the young mammal,” said Skoczn.

Animal control officers contacted Marine Mammal of Maine, an animal rescue and recovery non-profit based in Kennebunk. Within two hours of being reported as stuck, the seal was back in the water and out of harm’s way.

While it is not uncommon for residents to see harbor seals on the beach during the spring, according to Linda Doughty, executive director of MMoMe, the animal was actually a juvenile harp seal and it was a long way from home.

“We can tell by the speckled coloring of this little guy that he was not our typical baby harbor seal we see in the summertime, but a juvenile harp seal, still newly liberated but capable of being on its own. Up until 10 years ago, we didn’t typically see this breed so far out of their icy homes in Canadian and Newfoundland waters,” Doughty said.

Harp seals, Doughty explained, live on the pack ice, and when they hit the beach they keep on going.

“Their terrain is completely different, and they come out onto the packed ice to rest and rehydrate,” Doughty said. “We would have recommended he stay there undisturbed, but with all of the attention, he wasn’t really getting any rest. Out of concern for the animal we wanted to try and relocate him somewhere else,” said Doughty, who started MMoME after her former employer, Maine Department of Marine Resources, cut funding for marine response and rescue.

“We aren’t sure why (the harp seals) are coming here. It could be shrinking ice up north; a growing population forcing the younger seals out; changes in migration patterns of the fish they hunt; or a combination of all of these factors. What we do know that they’re not used to seeing people in their natural habitat,” she said.

Harp seals are protected under a federal law.

“You have to stay 150 feet back from the animal and that can be difficult when it is up on the road,” Doughty said.

Relocating the harp seal on Wells Beach entailed shoeing the animal back into the water. Officials believe the animal has safely moved on.

What was more surprising to the officials involved was the interest the seal’s plight generated from people outside of Wells.

While Skoczn has been the Wells 911 dispatcher for seven years, she is also the Wells Police Facebook Administrator. Animal control officers had snapped photos to communicate the condition of the seal to MMoME volunteers. When she posted the pictures on the department’s Facebook page, they went viral almost immediately.

“We couldn’t believe how crazy this went, with videos on the Internet, local television station coverage and stories in the New York Times and daily newspapers across the country,” said Skoczn.

Photos from first responders often help animal control officers assess the situation more quickly.

“Cell phone technology really helps us. If a caller finds an animal we want to know about it right of the bat. If they send a photo we can determine the situation, species, approximate age, and the severity of risk to quickly determine how and if we need to intervene,” Doughty said.

However, Doughty cautions people not to get too close when taking photos.

“We’re all attracted to these beautiful animals and each viewing is a learning opportunity. But it’s a delicate balance between getting close to observe the health and risk to the animal and getting closer to observe them out of sheer curiosity,” Doughty said.

Wells’ dispatcher agrees.

“Spring is baby season for harp seals. Their mothers leave them on the beach while they hunt for food. If you touch them their mothers will reject them,” Skoczn said.

To report a stranded animal, call the Marine Mammal of Maine hotline at 800-532-9551.

—Tracey Collins can be reached at miahreporter@journaltribune.com.