With the 2008 tourist season on the wane and beachgoers diminishing, monk seal ‘Badem’ was released from her temporary captivity in September.
The rescued seal had been taken into protective care in early July, both for her own safety and that of bathers, with whom she was increasingly interacting [see Ambassador with attitude, TMG 11(1): June 2008; Badem under armed guard, Latest News, June 2008; and Badem in ‘protective custody’, Latest News, 2 August 2008.]
The move followed several injuries that the playful or deliberately provoked seal inflicted upon swimmers, and concerns by tourist enterprises and local government that her antics might ultimately drive away tourists rather than attract them.
Rescued in December 2006 as an orphaned pup, Badem underwent rehabilitation in Foça with expertise provided by the Zeehondencrèche Lenie ‘t Hart of the Netherlands, but became imprinted on her human carers during the 5-month process.
Despite ups and downs since her original rescue and release, Badem has become a powerful ambassador for her species among the Turkish public, appearing in numerous newspapers and television reports. Paradoxically, however, the attention has also served to exacerbate rather than diminish her longing for human contact.
Turkish NGO SAD-AFAG, that coordinated Badem’s rehabilitation, had earlier voiced the hope that the young seal, once separated from humans within a customized 2500m2 fish farm enclosure, might regain a more natural seal-like behaviour.
Recent press reports, however, suggest that following her release Badem quickly returned to her old, fun-loving ways, frolicking with late-season bathers.
The organizations responsible have yet to release their detailed assessment and scientific findings of the rehabilitation and release procedures applied in Badem’s case. There can be no doubt that assessments of this kind can prove invaluable aids to other monk seal rehabilitation efforts, the science of which remains poorly understood. For monk seal pups brought into rehabilitation, survival is by no means a foregone conclusion; a substantial number die during the process. Information remains a vital key in improving rescue and rehabilitation techniques, and may even end up saving the lives of future orphans.