Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/monk-seal-birth/

There is something magical in seeing an endangered animal giving birth to a new baby that gives hope for the survival of its species.

In Oahu, a loving Hawaiian monk seal mom was captured on camera delivering a young pup right on the beach. It was a heartwarming sight as the baby was obviously using its full strength to crawl on the sand and to come closer to his mom. His mom rewarded him with affectionate kisses and fresh warm milk.

Hawaiian monk seals earned their name from the similarity of their folds of skin to a monk’s cowl and their propensity for solitude or living with just a small group. They are endemic to Hawaii and can never be seen in other parts of the world.

Hawaiian monk seals can live up to 30 years in the wild. But, unfortunately, they are now listed as an endangered species with 1,400 of them remaining. More than 1,000 are in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 300 in the main Hawaiian Islands.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminsitration (NOAA) Fisheries, the following are the threats to the Hawaiian monk seal population:

1. Food Limitation. Juvenile seals have been feeding less which is among the major causes for the decline in their population. Competition for food has been really tight, with their having apex predators like sharks and carangids as rivals.
2. Shark Predation. Hawaiian monk seals are also hunted by Galapagos sharks who especially like to target young pups.
3. Entanglement. Pups and juvenile seals are the most common victims of entanglement at sea. They also suffer from pollution caused by marine debris and fishing gears that have already been abandoned.
4. Male Seal Aggression. This was a serious problem from 1980s up to early 1990s, with some males attacking and killing not only adult female Hawaiian monk seals but the young ones as well. NOAA Fisheries resolved the problem by removing male aggressors or relocating young pups to safer grounds.
5. Habitat Loss. Storms and sea level rise have caused the disappearance of these seals’ primary pupping sites.



6. Fishery Interactions. This has caused a number of deaths among the Hawaiian monk seals. Some of them get entangled in gill nets or become victims to hooking.
7. Disease and Contaminants.Toxoplasmosis is a major problem among these seals, which is caused by parasites and known to be lethal. Infections by Brucella, herpesvirus, and Leptospira are also persistent health problems among these endangered marine mammals.
8. Human-Seal Interactions. People love to feed seals, but it has dire consequences for the wildlife. Likewise, disturbance of sleeping or resting seals, boat or vehicle strikes, dog attacks, and other direct human interactions have had negative impacts on the Hawaiian seal population.
9. Intentional Killing. This is the most tragic of all, human cruelty. Some seals have been killed by people violently leading to their untimely demise.

But NOAA Fisheries remains hopeful, there is no way they will give up on their endeavors to help the Hawaiian monk seal survive and thrive.

Come and watch this heartwarming video!

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog