Team Billand reported Kermit fronting the Snack Bar at White Plains at 1004. They found RO28 at Maili Point at 1548. Next they reported 2AW at Tracks at 1609.
Barbara called at 1615, having just spoken with Dera, and then Dera called at 1621. The news was awful, I'm sorry to say. Dera reported that RI37 had miscarried at Ka'ena Point this morning around 0950. The pup has been retrieved, and a necropsy performed.There were no immediate findings. RI37 was weak but apparently well at that time. This birth is approximately 4 months premature. RI37 had a stillborn birth on 5-16-10 last year. It was easy to attribute that event to the major wound she had sustained just a month before. This event is right out of the blue. Sad, is all that can be said.
Sadie and Mojo
Kolohe
Right Spot
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7 comments:
I was so looking forward to the birth of Ipo's first born. But tragically she lost that first pup. Was it because of he wound she had recieved earlier? It was nasty, raw and opened.
I saw her recently looking so beautiful at Maili Guard Rails, she was so fat. Then she hung out at Sharks cove for few days...still looking huge but ok.
What happened to our Ipo? Will this tragedy occur a third time? Had the wound from the other year sever some vital part, preventing Ipo from having a normal pregnancy? Could it be TOXOPLOSMOSIS??? Or the other disease Lipto something? Will she recover and be healthy again? I feel so upset, it really is a tragedy for our FEMALE HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL. Was it the recent flooding conditions? Could it be the large waves pounding her about? I hope all you guys can find the answers, I hope we can see her have that pup she will carry one day.....again. God bless you Ipo...our prayers are with you always. You're in our hearts forever. Please be ok.....
I agree Barbara, this is certainly sad news, and leaves us all wondering what happened.
At this time, I have trust in our experts that they will be keeping a close eye on her and trying to answer these questions. At the same time I realize how privileged I am to be so close to this seal community that such a tragedy hits home as though it was a family member. I am sad this young female is having such a tough time, I am sad that a young female may have problems producing offspring for a new and stronger generation of seals.
We just keep our fingers crossed this is a problem that does not have any lasting impact on her health and her ability to produce healthy babies.
When I saw her at Shark's cove she had a very red swollen left eye. I did not see the right eye. Can she be sick. Weak and well in one sentance can't possible mean healthy?
It was definitely a sad day yesterday, and all three of us responding were bummed when we heard the bleach number reported on the mother seal. But at the scene, RI37 appeared to be healthy (both eyes looked ok)and attentive, exhibiting the typical behaviors expected of a new mom. We were able to collect the pup, and perform a necropsy. Hopefully the results will offer us some clue as to why this pregnancy was terminated early. We will continue to try to monitor RI37 and track her condition with your help, and hopefully, with a little luck, she will have a successful birth next year.
It is so very sad:( Thanks Sean for the information it will help us all with the healing of this loss. Your work is greatly appreciated.
Pictures in a previous blog of R137 show her right eye very red also. I just had not seen very red eyes on the seals that I usually observe. Thanks again.
Sean, Thank you for the update! It is so appreciated from you, puts our little minds at ease for the moment.
Kelly - I know what you mean about sometimes seeing something that looks unusual, but the one thing I have learned over the years... these animals are pretty resilient.
Just as a follow up; another possibility for the red eyes is the seal's protective membrane. A lot of the time when a seal just wakes up, or has had their eyes shut for a while, when they open them, you can still see the protective membrane that covers them. This has been an issue brought up within our field camps before.
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