Featured Image Credit:Maui 24/7
By: Sarah Sharkey
Rocky the Hawaiian monk seal has given birth to another healthy pup! The seasoned mother delivered the pup on a remote stretch of Kauai beaches earlier this summer.
The new pup marks the 11th young monk seal to be delivered by this mother seal. Most of her pups were
also delivered in similarly remote beach areas, but her 10th pup was delivered on Waikiki beach last June.
Needless to say, that delivery attracted a crowd and was well documented by the curious beachgoers.
The birth of this young pup went well and both the mother and pup appear to be healthy. The pair are
comfortably enjoying life on a remote Hawaiian beach away from the prying eyes of tourists. The
crowded delivery last year led to some unnecessary interactions between humans and these seals. It is
important for young seals to be raised by their mothers without the interference of inconsiderate
beachgoers.
The NOAA officials in the area are extremely happy that Rocky chose a quieter area to raise this pup.
Rocky’s pup is the 28th Hawaiian monk seal pup to be born this year. That is a record number of births for
this protected species. The previous record was set in 2013, but only 21 pups were born.
Hopefully the numbers will continue to rise for the rest of the pupping season!
Learn more from the source.