National Zoo's Seals Make a Splash on American Trail

At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, the seals of American Trail are ready to splash down and make their big debut! To help the marine mammals acclimate to their new surroundings, animal care staff added 24,000 pounds of salt to the 125,000 gallon pool last week. Yesterday, three gray seals—Gunther, Kara and Kjya—and two harbor seals—Luke and Squeegee—entered the water together for the first time and explored their new digs. Visitors can view the seals up close and watch training and feeding demonstrations at 11:15 a.m. every day. The Zoo's elderly gray seal, Selkie, is expected to join the others on exhibit in the coming weeks. To get the latest updates, follow the Zoo on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #PinnipedParty.

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