A seal pup whose urban rescue tugged at the nation’s heartstrings on social media in mid-February has died, a Connecticut aquarium said Monday.

The New Haven Police Department found Chappy, a gray seal pup, roaming the streets of the city in mid-February, a long way from the safe waters off the Atlantic coast. The pup was promptly treated at Mystic Aquarium for dehydration, malnutrition and mild pneumonia but died as his gastrointestinal issues became too severe, the aquarium said.

“A complete necropsy was conducted, and findings are consistent with mesenteric torsion, meaning that his intestines were twisted around the mesentery, cutting off blood supply to a large portion of the gastrointestinal tract,” according to the aquarium. “This condition can be challenging to diagnose and has a poor prognosis.”

The seal pup is one of many animals whose mysterious discoveries far afield from their natural habitats puzzled veterinarians. Among the cases are an alligator in New York State, a loose bobcat in Georgia and flamingos west of the Mississippi River.

“The reality of working with stranded animals can be tough sometimes, but Chappy was surrounded by love until the very end,” Mystic Aquarium wrote.

‘Chappy’ roamed city looking for pizza – maybe

Police found Chappy in downtown New Haven after getting a call for a possibly injured seal pup, Officer Christian Bruckhart previously told USA TODAY. He joked the aquatic animal was searching for clam pizza, and later said the pup was transported to Mystic, about 55 miles east of New Haven for rehabilitation.

The police department enlisted the public’s help to name the pup. It was affectionately named Chappy after it was reported the seal was found on Chapel Street, NBC Connecticut reported.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that a gray seal is native to the North Atlantic and can be found in coastal waters. It’s also a federally protected animal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Aquarium staff estimated Chappy to be a few weeks old and was seen roaming in several other towns before being picked up in New Haven. According to the aquarium, Chappy weighed 28 pounds, just 7 pounds less than what a newborn gray seal typically weighs.

“The goal for this seal, along with every other rescued marine mammal and sea turtle patient, is to release the seal back to its ocean home once he is healthy and strong,” the aquarium previously said on Facebook.

The aquarium shared Chappy’s health updates on Facebook. Staff said his immune system had signs of weakness and that he would be on a long road to recovery as he fought pneumonia and the gastrointestinal issues. The gut issues, however, became too severe and Chappy later passed away.

Staff made a troubling discovery in the necropsy, finding small pieces of plastic in Chappy’s stomach. The Center for Biological Diversity, a marine welfare nonprofit, estimated that by 2050, plastic will outweigh all fish if pollution remains at its current rate. Currently, plastic makes up nearly 40% of the world’s ocean surfaces.

Animals found far from their habitats

Chappy isn’t the only animal discovered away from its natural habitat in the U.S.

After Hurricane Idalia slammed Florida in 2023, flamingos were spotted in nearly 20 states. Scientists believe the birds migrated due to the storm’s winds but weren’t certain about the birds’ future. Some flew back to the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico, while others lingered in Florida and several other states.

Florida has also continually encouraged residents to hunt Burmese and reticulated pythons – called the Python Challenge – as the snakes are invasive to the state, threatening the Sunshine State’s wildlife. The challenge gives registered participants a monetary incentive for capturing the invasive animals.

In New York State, a man spotted an alligator in the Minisceongo Creek. Authorities relocated the reptile to Mark Perpetua’s Reptile Encounters, an educational facility focused on animals like alligators. The owner, Mark Perpetua, said the alligator isn’t native to New York and is typically found in the south.

“People are able to get them, bring them into New York without a license and when they get too big if they can’t find a home, they occasionally end up in places where they don’t belong,” Perpetua previously told USA TODAY.

Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X @KrystalRNurse, and on BlueSky @krystalrnuse.bsky.social.