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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.