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Today, this species has the unfortunate statusas the most endangered seal in the United States
Its population has declined at a rate of 4% per year for thelast decade, and now there are fewer than 1,100 Hawaiian
monk seals left in existence dismal news for a species
that has existed for more than 13 million years and is found
only in Hawaii.
Threats facing Hawaiian monk seals are many and
include shark predation, food shortages, marine debris and
other negative human impacts, such as gun shots, shing
hook ingestion, and harassment. A newborn monk seal has
only a 1-in-5 chance of surviving to adulthood. While recen
legislation in Hawaii makes it a felony to harm a Hawaiian
monk seal, there is still much work to be done.
For the last decade, The Marine Mammal Center in
California has worked closely with government agencies
and nonprot organizations in Hawaii, including the Pacic
Islands Fisheries Science Center, the Pacic Islands Re-
gional Ofce of the National Marine Fisheries Service and
the Hawaii Wildlife Fund, to provide medical assistance to
monk seals, often ying out veterinary teams and trained
volunteers to provide hands-on medical care in make-shift
facilities, because every seal matters.
Over..
In 1976, the Hawaiian monk seal was listed as an endangered species
Save the Endangered Hawaiian Monk Sea
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Currently there is no dedicated facil-
y in Hawaii to care for sick, injured and
rphaned Hawaiian monk seals.
The Marine Mammal Center and the
awaii Wildlife Fund have joined forces to
aise $2 million to build a Hawaiian monk
eal healthcare facility in Kona, on the Big
sland. This hospital is urgently needed and
will provide an easily accessible, dedicated
te for emergency medical care and the
earing of newborn pups (once pups reach
he age of 3, their survival rate increases to
0%). Together, we can make a difference.
The Hawaii Wildlife Fund is a non-prot
rganization dedicated to the preservation
f Hawaiis native wildlife through research,
ducation and conservation. The Funds
eams are educators, conservationists,
esearchers, naturalists, communities, volun-
eers and donors devoted to the preserva-
on of Hawaiis fragile marine ecosystem
nd inhabitants.
The Marine Mammal Center knows the
alue and necessity of a hospital dedi-
ated to the medical care of sick, injured
nd starving marine mammals; in 2009 it
pened a new hospital in California that al-
owed it to care for more than 1,700 animals
hat same year (thats more than the total
umber of monk seals alive today). Althoughhe Marine Mammal Center is responsible
or rescuing marine mammals along 600
miles of California coastline, it has always
een willing to help provide care for marine
mammal species around the world.
This is an incredible time of hope and
ossibility. But theres no time to waste:
more monk seals are dying each year than
re being born.
he population of Hawaiian
onk seals is projected to fall
elow 1,000 animals by 2014.
nternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Above: KP2, a young Hawaiian monk seal rehabilitated thenreleased back to the wild.Photo courtesy of NOAA. NMFS permit #932-1489-09
Below: Rare Hawaiian monk seal twins receiving medical carebefore release.Photo courtesy Ingrid Overgard, The Marine Mammal Center. NMFS permit #932-1489-09
Q&AQ: Why are you building the urgent care facility on the Big Islawhen monk seals mainly show up on islands such as Kauai andOahu?
A: The simple answer is location, location, location. The proposed hospital site, at the Natural Energtory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA), is 10 minutes from the Kona Airport which makes transportation eefcient. In addition, the site already has the necessary infrastructure and permits in place to allow qconstruction.
Q: Are monk seals found in other parts of the world, other thanHawaii?
A: The Hawaiian monk seal is only found in Hawaii. The Caribbean monk seal, which was native toCaribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, was declared extinct in 2008. The Mediterranean monk seal isone of the most endangered mammals in the world; fewer than 500 are alive today.
Q: Arent monk seals doing well in the Main Hawaiian Islands?
A: Of the 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals alive today, 100 are in the Main Hawaiian Islands, and 1,000 a
the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. For reasons such as shark predation, food shortages and marine debNorthwest Hawaiian Island seals are faring less well than their counterparts on the Main Islands. Howthe seals on the Main Islands are increasingly victims of trash ingestion or entanglement and other nhuman impacts. In 2010, a bill was signed into law in Hawaii that makes it a felony to harm a Hawaiiseal, and imposes nes up to $50,000. This new law is a great sign of the commitment Hawaii is maktoward the protection of the monk seal.
Q: Why is The Marine Mammal Center in California qualied tothe Hawaiian monk seal in Hawaii?
A: Because it works with a large number of marine mammal species, the Center has been able to apbroad medical knowledge and resources toward the conservation of the Hawaiian monk seal. Founde1975, The Marine Mammal Center has cared for more than 16,000 animals. The Center has made sigcontributions to marine mammal medicine, protocols and science worldwide. In addition to the Hawamonk seal, the Center has applied its knowledge to the recovery efforts of other endangered and threaspecies around the world, including Steller sea lions, Guadalupe fur seals, Southern sea otters, Northeseals, Hooker sea lions in the Auckland Islands, and Mediterranean monk seals.
Dr. Frances Gulland, the Centers Director of Veterinary Science, has been actively involved in recoverand scientic research projects for the Hawaiian monk seal for the last ten years and has been a memHawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team since 2001. Dr. Gulland is one of the worlds leading veterinary emarine mammal pathology and surgery and ser ves on the Committee of Scientic Advisors to the USMammal Commission. Dr. Gulland is supported by a robust team of clinical veterinarians, technicianvolunteers at the Center with signicant experience in the care of injured, ill and orphaned marine m
Q: What expertise does the Hawaii Wildlife Fund bring to thiscollaborative effort?
A: The Hawaii Wildlife Fund was cofounded by Bill Gilmartin and Hannah Bernard, former NationaFisheries Service scientists, in 1996. The critically endangered status of the Hawaiian monk seal initiathe two together to support its recovery. Gilmartins work with monk seals as the leader of the NMFS PSpecies Investigation Program in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands was featured in the January 199of National Geographic. Dr. Gilmartin has been a leader in efforts to save the Hawaiian monk seal fo30 years; he initiated and managed the monk seal recovery program from 1980 to 1996, has been a mof the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team since 1980, and conducted monk seal captive care progra1981 to 1995.
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How you can helpThe Marine Mammal Center and the Hawaii Wildlife Fund,
collaborative organizations with the National Marine Fishe
Service of NOAA for the Hawaiian monk seal recovery eff
are accepting private tax-deductible donations toward thi
project. To make donations, please visit:
.1 The Hawaii Wildlife Funds website WildHawaii.org
or send a check payable to Hawaii Wildlife Fund
Hawaiian Monk Seal Healthcare Facility to:
Hawaii Wildlife Fund
P.O. Box 70
Volcano, HI 96785
Phone (808) 575-2046
2 The Marine Mammal Centers website
MarineMammalCenter.org
or send a check payable to The Marine Mammal Center
Hawaiian Monk Seal Healthcare Facility to:
The Marine Mammal Center
2000 Bunker Road
Fort Cronkhite
Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone (415) 289-7335
Printed on 100% recycled, 50% post-consumer paper, processed chlorine-free.
To take action for the Hawaiian
monk seal is the right thing to do
for this culturally iconic species,
for the environment and for future
generations.