The Monachus-Guardian — Headlines-News-Articles — 2008-2018
Dedicated to Monk Seals and their Threatened Habitats
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.
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.] Continue reading “Badem released from ‘protective custody’”
In early July, rehabilitated Mediterranean monk seal ‘Badem’ was brought into temporary captivity, both for her own safety and that of swimmers and holidaymakers, with whom she was increasingly interacting [see Badem under armed guard, Latest News, June 2008].
The move followed several injuries that the playful or deliberately provoked seal inflicted upon swimmers, death-threats issued against her, and concerns by tourist enterprises and local government that her antics might ultimately drive away tourists rather than attract them.
DIDIM’s adopted seal Badem has been assigned three gendarme officials after one man threatened to harpoon it.
The seal, which injured a number of people last week in Bodrum, including Asım Küçükosmanoğlu who was trying to play with him, caused one person to threaten to harm the hapless animal.
Not leaving the Bodrum Ören Beach for days, Badem was again the centre of attention last week when he [sic] bit several people, including 65-year-old lawyer Küçükosmanoğlu who almost drowned due to the incident.
It was an exceptional event by any standards, yet even more so when one realises that the Mediterranean monk seal has been considered extinct in Spain and the Balearic Islands for more than half a century.
In what may turn out to be a pivotal moment in the species’ future recolonisation of the Balearics, a confirmed sighting of a single Mediterranean monk seal was made in the marine reserve of Isla del Toro, Mallorca, at 11.30 hrs on 15 June.
With the tourist season now well underway along Turkey’s Aegean coast, orphaned monk seal pup Badem continues to make friends – but also enemies [see Ambassador with Attitude, TMG 11(1): June 2008].
Three armed gendarme officers have now been assigned to watch over the seal, following threats by a speargun diver that he would harpoon the animal. It is believed that threats by others may also have prompted that official action, as well as appeals by SAD-AFAG, the organisation monitoring Badem’s welfare.