The male grey seal found winding his way through Ocean City's streets has died, the Brigantine Marine Mammal Stranding Center said Tuesday.
The seal was found Feb. 7, after traveling about a quarter-mile down 42nd Street.
The pup was being treated over the past two weeks for parasites and a possible respiratory infection.
Staff provided nutritional support for the underweight pup, through assist feeding fish and supplemental tube-feeding of electrolytes and formula.
"We were hopeful when the pup began showing more interest in food last week, even starting to eat smaller fish on his own in recent days," the center posted on its Facebook page. "However, on the evening of Feb. 19, the pup showed a very sudden and rapid decline, and despite the extraordinary efforts by our staff to resuscitate him, the pup passed away only a few minutes later."
A necropsy is planned to provide insight on what may have caused him to decline so quickly.
"This is always the hardest part of animal rescue," the center wrote. "While we know we can’t save them all, every loss still hurts."
The center thanked its staff and Dr. Hubert Paluch for doing everything possible.
They also thanked Ocean City residents and everyone who rallied around this seal.
