Endangered Monk Seals Make History
Youngest Rehab Pup Nears Release & First Video of Wild Birth Taken
Jan 9, 2008
Two events combined to make history in Greece this year. The youngest Mediterranean monk seal pup ever to be taken in for rehabilitation is being readied for release back to the wild. And remote video cameras captured footage of a monk seal pup being born, the first time a birth has been recorded for the species. Monitoring the development of that pup aided rehabilitators in caring for the rescued pup.
Rescue of Viktoria, Youngest Monk Seal Ever Rehabilitated in Greece
In October of 2007, on the Greek island of Tinos, the owner of a local taverna, Viktoria Drouga, leapt into the ocean to save a Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) pup struggling in the rough seas of a Force-9 gale. The pup, only days old and too young to swim, was kept on the beach for a day in hopes that her mother would hear her calling and return for her.
Unfortunately this didn’t happen. So the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal (MOm) transferred Viktoria, as the rescued pup was named in honor of her rescuer, to their Monk Seal Rescue Centre on Alonnisos in the Sporades.
Remote Video Cameras Film Live Birth of Mediterranean Monk Seal
Around the same time, MOm researchers, monitoring breeding caves on the island of Kimolos with remote cameras, witnessed the birth of a pup in the caves. This is the first birth of a Mediterranean monk seal pup to be video-recorded. (See footage of the birth in the cave).
The remote video cameras have allowed the biologists to study mother-pup behavior and other activities in the cave without disturbing any animals. And for Viktoria it meant that the MOm staff could compare her growth and development with a wild pup. Most wildlife rehabilitators are able to access information about milk composition, growth rates, normal behavior and what happens at weaning for the species they rehabilitate. This information hadn’t been available on the secretive monk seals, largely because of their use of caves for breeding and pupping.
The Value of Each Rehabilitated Seal
The Mediterranean monk seal is the most endangered seal in the world, with only 500 animals surviving in the wild and none in permanent captivity. This little female monk seal, if she survives to reproduce, has the potential to have as many as 15 pups in her lifetime. To an endangered species 15 pups would mean a lot.
What the Public Can Do for Monk Seals
It is expensive to care for pups like Viktoria, which often must stay in rehabilitation for 4-5 months, until they are old enough to be independent. Average cost is 75,000 Euros or around 110,000 US Dollars. This includes transportation of the animal to the rehabilitation centre, food, medicine, staff time (which is supplemented by a team of hardworking volunteers!) and post release tracking.
To find out more about how to help, contact MOm (info@MOm.gr). There are no gimmicks such as free stuffed animals when donations are made, just the knowledge that some of the most endangered seals in the world have been helped.
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