Baby gray seal bonding with mom at Illinois zoo

BROOKFIELD, Ill. - Just last month a baby gray seal was born on December 26. The seal pup is currently nursing, learning to swim and bonding with his mother.

The pup will stay behind the scenes until he is ready to be out in public.

They are born with a thick white fur but eventually, it is molted and replaced with shorter and stiffer hair similar to that of adult seals.

The Brookfield Zoo says the pup, born weighing 36 pounds, is already on track to quadruple his weight by next week!

The fat-rich milk he receives from his mother, Lily, allows the pup to put on a lot of weight in a short amount of time.

The Brookfield Zoo says the baby seal will likely be out at Pinniped Point near the end of February.