11 April 2009: Following several months in rehab, release day has dawned for orphaned Mediterranean monk seal pup ‘Artemis’. She’s carried from the MOm rehab unit in Steni Vala, Alonnisos, to the organisation’s research vessel, for the 2.5 hour voyage into the core zone of the National Marine Park.
Congress allocates $5.7 million to help save Hawaiian monk seals
Press Watch — Honolulu Advertiser, 11 April 2009
Federal funds will also provide jobs for ocean scientists
Congress has allocated $5.7 million — the largest single-year sum to date — for Hawaiian monk seal recovery efforts.
Next to corporate bailouts and economic stimulus plans, the amount pales. But conservation managers say it will make a great difference for the critically endangered animals, whose numbers have dropped below 1,200 in the wild.
“My reaction initially was jubilation,” said Charles Littnan, lead scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries’ monk seal research program. “Then immediately comes the weight of responsibility — making sure that we spend the money efficiently, properly and to maximize impact on the seals.” […]
Monk seal pup Artemis
A photo gallery of Mediterranean monk seal pup Artemis, undergoing rehabilitation at the MOm rescue and treatment unit on Alonnisos, in the Northern Sporades Marine Park.
Photo gallery (courtesy MOm)
Monachus Guardian in Spanish
Thanks to the support of the Government of the Balearic Islands, the June 2008 issue of The Monachus Guardian has now been published in Spanish.
If you have Spanish-language friends or colleagues who you think might be interested in the publication, please let them know.
The Spanish translation can be accessed at: <http://www.monachus-guardian.org/spanish>.
Badem undergoes veterinary treatment
An infected eye giving cause for concern, monk seal ‘Badem’ undergoes a veterinary examination and in situ treatment on the Datça Peninsula, Turkey… Meanwhile, researchers believe that the seal famous for its antics and interaction with people may now be shying away from human contact. Details: http://www.sadafag.org/en/index.php?bolum=haber&id=158. No longer online.
Good news for young Artemis
Press Release | MOm
After 40 days of treatment at MOm’s Rehabilitation Centre in Alonnisos, Artemis, the new-born orphaned monk seal which was found in Leros at the 10th of December, responds positively to the veterinary treatment administered and shows signs of stabilization.
The last news are more than encouraging, as everything shows that young Artemis has fully adjusted to her daily nursing schedule so as to be prepared for the rehabilitation phase which will last until the mid of April.