Evaluation of the captive care and post-release behavior and survival of seven juvenile female Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi)

Published source details Norris T.A., Littnan C.L. & Gulland F.M.D. (2011) Evaluation of the captive care and post-release behavior and survival of seven juvenile female Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi). Aquatic Mammals, 37, 342-353.
Share Tweet Email

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Hand-rear orphaned or abandoned marine and freshwater mammal young Action Link

Hand-rear orphaned or abandoned marine and freshwater mammal young

A study in 2006–2007 on an atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, USA (Norris et al. 2011) found that most Hawaiian monk seal Neomonachus schauinslandi pups reared in captivity gained weight, but none survived after release back into the wild. Six of seven seal pups reared in captivity increased in body weight by 31–141% but died within 3–5 months after release back into the wild, aged <2 years old. The other seal pup lost body weight and died after 23 days in captivity. Two of three wild seal pups born on the same atoll in the same breeding season survived to at least four years of age. In May–December 2006, seven female juvenile Hawaiian monk seal pups were captured in the wild and kept in shoreline net pens (9 x 40 m) to increase their survival over winter. The pups were given multivitamins and fed frozen Pacific herring Clupea pallasii 2–3 times/day and larger live reef fish. In March 2007, the six surviving seal pups were radio-tagged and released after 89–279 days in captivity. Three wild seal pups (two males, one female) from the same atoll were radio-tagged in March 2007. Tagged seals were tracked for 37–146 days (released pups) or 74–311 days (wild pups) in 2007–2008. Visual sightings were made during annual surveys in 2007–2010 (methods not reported).

(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)