Mystic Aquarium debuts Facebook series on rehab
Stonington — Mystic Aquarium debuted an eight-program series on Facebook Watch on Wednesday afternoon with an episode on Ziggy Star, a female northern fur seal that recently underwent successful brain surgery to stop the seizures she had been having.
“Aquarium Rehab,” will offer viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the aquarium animals who need special care and the aquarium staff who care for them. The first season will air at 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Feb. 14, 2018, at bit.ly/MArehab.
“Facebook is building a platform for video content and we’re excited to experiment with new formats to continue to build our community on Facebook,” said Adam Cilley, the aquarium’s social media specialist manager. “We hope that people will watch the Aquarium Rehab on Facebook.com or the Facebook mobile app and continue to follow for new episodes.”
Ziggy Star, who was chosen as the subject of the first episode, was found emaciated and near death on a California beach in April 2013 and was taken to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, Calif. Testing showed that the neurological disease from
which she suffers would make it difficult for her to survive in the wild by affecting her coordination and ability to process images correctly.
The aquarium has cared for Ziggy since March 2014. She had lived with the other fur seals in an outdoor exhibit, receiving specialized care and had been relatively healthy until this fall, when a cluster of seizures forced the aquarium to bring Ziggy to the Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., for advanced brain imaging and evaluation by a veterinary neurologist.
An MRI revealed an accumulation of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain, a condition known as hydrocephalus. A decision was then made to perform surgery and on Nov. 20, more than a dozen veterinary anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons and zoological medicine specialists gathered at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University and implemented a shunt in Ziggy’s brain to drain the excess fluid and relieve some of the pressure on the brain. The surgery never before had been done on a seal or sea lion.
Ziggy was brought back to the aquarium the next day and has not had another seizure since the surgery. She continues to recover in an off-exhibit area of the aquarium.
“Ziggy has recently begun to go for swims in her pool and is showing normal swim patterns and improved ability to navigate,” said Dr. Jen Flower, the aquarium’s chief clinical veterinarian. “She is showing signs of improved cognition/ mentation and is able to complete simple behaviors as requested by trainers.”
Flower said Wednesday that the surgery will prevent the progression of the neurological disease and the seizures, and it will improve Ziggy’s quality of life.
“I’m cautiously optimistic she will continue to improve. We couldn’t have asked for better progress and improvement up until now,” she said. “But because her condition is so unique and the surgery had never been done before, its hard to predict the future.”
Flower added that the treatment of Ziggy will increase the information that is available to help other facilities to care for their animals.
She said it was too early to say when Ziggy could return to her normal exhibit and be seen by the public. She said Ziggy would have to adapt to the low temperatures, after the shaving of several patches of fur for the surgery.
“We’re keeping our fingers crossed that she continues to do well,” Flower said.