The following photographs were taken under NOAA permit # 932-1905. The people in these photos are staff and crew from NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC and trained volunteers that are authorized to capture the endangered Hawaiian monk seals.
Todays' capture is the result of a report called in this week of an adult seal with a hook and she was identified by her tags. She is looking thin and frail and is currently being monitored in captive care. The good news is the hook has been remove
R5AY a female first identified as an adult in 2005 on Kauai. Her first known pup was in 2005 on Kauai, but since then has given birth on Oahu's north shore since 2006. She pupped at Turtle Bay's Keiki pool at least four times.
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A HUGE THANK YOU to all that assisted today and especially those who been pounding the pavement (sand) all week tracking her down.
Team waiting with cage
R5AY being held in a pen while the team gets everything ready
Crowding boards are essential. This photo gives you a good perspective how big adult monk seals are in comparison to grown men
Into the cage we go
and the old heave ho to get her off the beach
Her hook and wound .
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1 comment:
My heart aches for R5AY and her health, her hooking, she dont deserve this at all. She has been the best MOM to all of her pups.
Each time she gives birth, nurses her pups, we can see the love she has for all of them. She teaches them TOUGH LOVE. We have seen the videos from Diane Gabriel many a time, sensational videos that make us appreciate a females journey.
I first met her because of her pupping at Crawfords in 2008. It was our first pupping event and we couldnt wait to get to Kahuku pupping site to see...HOKU. Sometimes we would stay longer than our scheduled times, who cares, ITS A PUP and they are so sweet, we wanted to catch as much information on what a pup is all about, what a female MOM is all about as well. Oh those days out there at crawfords were super amazing, loving, rough at times, then in the end R5AY would roll on her side to nurse HOKU. It always melted my heart.
I'll never forget the time HOKU was HOOKED at I believe three weeks old. I cried to see our first pup...struggling along with that dam hook. How MOM just nursed her as usual, then the NOAA team caught the pup, MOM WAS ENRAGED, NOAA had her pup separated!!! Mom fought like hell for that pup. It would be the first time ROB was asked to help out the NOAA team. HOKU was quite a large engorged creature and fought the team. I got a short video of that day, Fathers day.
And in the short time, like a minute, DR. BRAUN and the noaa team, got the hook out. Released HOKU, who immediately galumphed over to R5AY...That image is imbedded in my soul. That contact, the sniffing of her pup, checking her out. Then they both galulmphed right back to where HOKU got hooked and R5AY nursed HOKU. She was very comforting to him, a scene so priceless in my mind.
When R5AY was going to give birth again, this time with Ua, a tourist was lucky to find the pup on shore with MOM. Everyone, including us guys, drove all the way out there to build a pen to protect that cute, adorable pup. I was shocked the pup was swimming in the shallows, with mom right there to bark at her pup, "YOU COME HERE HONEY, DONT GO TOO FAR".
I remember the video DIANE shot with one of the pups, far away from MOM, who was very concerned, barking, thrashing about, looking for the pup. And the pup came around the rock, grumbling...MOM sees pup and they both reunite...that is a priceless video I often watch again and again.
After those pups were born, Rob and I never got to see the other pup at all. I regret never seeing it...R5AY that extraordinary soul of a mom. What a great Female seal. Oh it hurts to see her now in those photos, injured, thin, just so sad.
I pray for her well being. She is a deserving Female Hawaiian Monk seal. I wish with my heart and soul, she can survive this event. We need her and now, she needs YOU guys to care for her health.
Our prayers go to her, to all her beautiful pups, and most of all to the many awesome Volunteers, who gave so much of their time for months with R5AY. God be with you all!!! You are Angels!!!
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