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Pregnant monk seal found dead in Lebanon

The death of a pregnant Mediterranean monk seal has been reported in Beirut near the “Cave of seals” at Raouche Beach. The discovery is thought to have taken place last week, on 31 March 2015. A locally performed necropsy did not reveal any signs of foul play, though it is not yet known how comprehensive the procedure was.

Despite being considered extinct in Lebanon since the 1950s, rare sporadic sightings in more recent years have raised hopes of the monk seal’s return.

Further information is available on Lebanon’s Green Area website.

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Croatian monk seal Adriana may have been shot twice during her lifetime

Further examination of the body of female Mediterranean monk seal Adriana, who died on 25 August 2014 in Croatia, has revealed that she was shot at twice, in all probability many years earlier, according to press reports and Jasna Antolović of Croatia’s Mediterranean Monk Seal Group. Continue reading “Croatian monk seal Adriana may have been shot twice during her lifetime”

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Seal breeding season in the Desertas Islands, Madeira

Rosa Pires, Parque Natural da Madeira

Two females and one pup interacting at the entrance of the Bufador cave.
Two females and one pup interacting at the entrance of the Bufador cave.

As a result of the campaign to monitor the monk seal breeding season in Madeira’s Desertas islands, we could confirm already the birth of two pups, a female and a male. These two, born in September/October, were monitored over 2 weeks at the entrance of Bufador cave, where a concealed lookout post was established. From here it was possible to identify the group of seals using the cave and observe their behaviour without disturbing them or influencing their natural behaviour. Continue reading “Seal breeding season in the Desertas Islands, Madeira”

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New EU LIFE project for Madeira’s monk seals

LIFE Madeira Monk Seal – Mediterranean monk seal conservation in Madeira and development of a conservation status surveillance system
Duration: 01-JUN-2014 to 30-MAY-2018

LIFE13_NAT_ES_000974_MAPThe project LIFE Madeira Monk Seal aims to resolve known threats to the monk seal and improve its long-term conservation in the Madiera region. It specifically seeks to address conflict between the habitat needs of the seal and human activities in coastal areas.

The project plans to draft and have formally adopted a new Monk Seal Regional Conservation Plan in the Madeira archipelago. It aims to increase the intervention capacity of Madeira’s Natural Park Service, as the competent authority, to tackle threats or risk situations for the species. It will also directly intervene to restore and protect habitats used by the seal for reproduction and rest, including beaches and submerged or partially submerged sea caves. Continue reading “New EU LIFE project for Madeira’s monk seals”

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Note on an old female monk seal that died in Croatia in 2014

by Prof. Dr Đuro Huber, Biology Department, Veterinary Faculty, Zagreb, Croatia

The individual concerned was photographed for the first time on 08 March 2009 by the Monk Seal Group (Jasna Antolović, chair) in the Nature Park Kamenjak at the tip of the Istria peninsula. Confirmed sightings of the monk seal in the area started already in 2004. However, at that time the animal did not have the distinguishable scars on the base of the neck and the base of the hind left flipper. It can be stated that this animal stayed in the area at least for five years and probably almost for 11 years. Automatic cameras pictured her on many occasions in the meantime, but she was also seen several times around the island of Cres, as well. Continue reading “Note on an old female monk seal that died in Croatia in 2014”