Media Watch, Vancouver Aquarium, 11 May 2012
Vancouver Aquarium veterinarian, Dr. Martin Haulena, received an emergency call on May 9 to fly to Hawaii to help support a local rescue effort.
He participated in two successful procedures to remove accidentally-ingested fishing hooks from endangered monk seals on May 10.
One of the monk seals required surgery to remove the hook, which was lodged deep in the esophagus near the opening to the stomach. Dr. Haulena performed the anesthesia and collaborated with Dr. Robert Braun and veterinarians at the Honolulu Zoo to remove the hook. The seal is in recovery and rehabilitation is expected to take several days to weeks. [More]
Source: Aquarium veterinarian helps save monk seals, Vancouver Aquarium, 11 May 2012.