A hooded seal pup tried to continue nursing after its mother died on a floating wharf in Harbour Mille. (Courtesy Pam Pardy Ghent)

A seal pup that captivated the interest of a southern Newfoundland community after its mother died on the village wharf has been brought to St. John's.

The pup was transported to St. John's by staff with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, only a few days after it was born on a floating dock in Harbour Mille, a fishing community on the Burin Peninsula.

The pup was born on Saturday. Although the mother died three days later, residents said the pup tried to keep nursing.

"It was heartbreaking," said resident Pam Pardy Ghent, adding that residents in the community had been worrying about the pup's welfare.

Pup examination

Gary Stenson, a marine mammal scientist with DFO, said scientists will try to determine whether the pup can survive.

"It's an unusual case, because we know it was nursing," he told CBC News on Thursday.

Hooded seal pups typically only nurse for four days, he said, which means the pup may be able to survive on its own.

"[But] there's not very much else we can do with these animals," Stenson said, adding there is no replacement for the fatty milk pups consume from their mothers. "After they have weaned, they live off their fat for a month before they [can] eat on their own."

Stenson said if the pup is deemed healthy enough to survive, it likely will be brought back to the wild.

Bringing it to Memorial University's marine lab in Logy Bay is not a viable option, he said.

"They're not a rehab centre. We don't have any rehab facilities in the province," he said.

Adult hooded seals grow to be quite large, at about 400 kilograms for males and 200 kilograms for females. As well, Stenson said, they can be aggressive, and could bring diseases to the seals kept in captivity at the marine lab.

"[So] that's the best thing for these animals, to leave in the wild," said Stenson.

If the pup is found not to be able to survive, it will be euthanized, Stenson said.