▁was ▁able ▁to ▁im itate ▁basic ▁human ▁speech . ▁ ▁C und y ’ s ▁Har bor ▁▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁Scott ie ▁Dun ning ▁discovered ▁a ▁tiny ▁male ▁har bor ▁se al ▁pup ▁on ▁the ▁shore ▁of ▁C und y ’ s ▁Har bor , ▁Maine . ▁After ▁a ▁failed ▁attempt ▁at ▁loc ating ▁the ▁pup ’ s ▁mother , ▁Dun ning ▁called ▁his ▁brother - in - law ▁George ▁Sw allow ▁for ▁help . ▁When ▁Sw allow ▁arrived , ▁the ▁two ▁searched ▁for ▁the ▁mother ▁se al ▁and ▁later ▁found ▁her ▁dead ▁among ▁the ▁rocks . ▁ ▁After ▁careful ▁consideration , ▁Sw allow ▁finally ▁decided ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁se al ▁pup ▁home ▁with ▁him . ▁At ▁first , ▁it ▁refused ▁to ▁drink ▁milk ▁from ▁a ▁bott le , ▁but ▁once ▁advice ▁was ▁given ▁by ▁a ▁neighbor ▁to ▁gr ind ▁up ▁fish ▁and ▁offer ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁pup , ▁he ▁su ck ed ▁it ▁up ▁like ▁a ▁ho over ▁( v acu um ▁cleaner ), ▁hence ▁his ▁name . ▁ ▁The ▁Sw all ows ▁kept ▁him ▁in ▁their ▁bat ht ub , ▁but ▁this ▁proved ▁too ▁incon ven ient ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁days . ▁So ▁George ▁moved ▁him ▁out ▁back ▁to ▁a ▁spring - f ed ▁p ond ▁where ▁he ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁“ p up ▁tent ” ▁en closed ▁by ▁a ▁wire ▁f ence . ▁Ho over ▁lived ▁very ▁much ▁like ▁a ▁family ▁dog ▁and ▁even ▁accompanied ▁George ▁r iding ▁into ▁town ▁with