Gaston (seal)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Seal_Gaston.jpg/300px-Seal_Gaston.jpg)
Gaston in Prague Zoo
Gaston is the name of a brown fur seal that lived in Prague Zoo in years 1991–2002. He became famous during the 2002 European floods when he escaped from the zoological garden, when the rising waters of the Vltava river flooded his tank at Prague zoo. He swam more than 300 km (190 mi) from Prague to Dresden (Germany) on rivers Vltava and Elbe. He was recaptured north of Dresden and subsequently died due to exhaustion and infection.[1][2][3]
Gaston was memorialized with a statue in the Prague Zoo.[citation needed]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Gaston_mem.jpg/220px-Gaston_mem.jpg)
Gaston memorial statue in the Prague Zoo
References[]
- ^ "Prague's rescued seal dies". BBC. 20 August 2002.
- ^ "Sorrow as 'hero' flood seal dies". CNN. 21 August 2002.
- ^ "Tragic Ending for Great Seal Escape". Deutsche Welle. 20 August 2002. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012.
Categories:
- Individual seals and sea lions
- 2002 animal deaths
- Missing or escaped animals
- Individual animals in the Czech Republic
- Zoo stubs