A monk seal gave birth to a stillborn pup yesterday on the beach fronting the Sheraton Kauai Resort in Po’ipu. The pup, which weighed about three pounds, was taken to the Lihue Veterinary Hospital, where Dr. David Haas performed an
A monk seal gave birth to a stillborn pup yesterday on the beach fronting the Sheraton Kauai Resort in Po’ipu.
The pup, which weighed about three pounds, was taken to the Lihue Veterinary Hospital, where Dr. David Haas performed an autopsy in an effort to determine what may have caused the premature birth.
Haas wasn’t available for comment last night.
Normal monk seal pups are 25 to 30 pounds at birth, and can balloon to 150 pounds while nursing.
It is not known if this is the same mother seal that gave birth to pups at Po’ipu Beach Park the last two summers.
Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service continue investigating to determine what caused the premature birth.
In the meantime, persons using the beach are asked to stay at least 150 feet from the mother seal at all times.
Hawaiian monk seals are on the endangered species list, with less than 1,500 estimated to be left in existence.
On Sunday, a 400-pound green sea turtle washed ashore at Anahola Bay, dead and the victim of an apparent shark attack.
The front flippers including the shoulders of the turtle were chewed off, said Don Heacock, an aquatic biologist with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources.
