1/20/2015 Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program Facebook Post

Aloha All...
I am sure many of you have already seen this and for those who do not have facebook here is the story posted today from the wonderful folks from the HMSRP .....  
https://www.facebook.com/HMSRP/

 Aloha all. We had a challenging situation the last couple of days. Watchful eyes of volunteers and residents in Laie noticed some odd behavior by adult female R016 (Right Spot). She had been staying mostly still, or logging, in a protected cove for several days. She had some injuries that indicated a potential tussle with a shark but the logging behavior raised concerns something more serious may be involved, like a severe infection. We responded yesterday but were confronted with a potential in-water capture, multiple escape routes, and the potential to have to carry a 400 lbs seal up some narrow steps. We decided to wait until today so we could come up with the best plan and pull together all the people we needed. We are happy to report that the team of 19 dedicated people were able to successfully herd her to a beach so that she could be assessed. Upon approach she reacted strongly (a good sign). Her eyes were bright, her movements were coordinated , but the wounds were more extensive than previously thought, though they were relatively superficial. At this point it seems her resting behavior was recovery from the bites and lacerations and unlikely something like toxoplasmosis or other debilitating disease. She was given antibiotics to aid the healing process and released. With the help of the volunteers we will keep an eye on her for the next couple of weeks. We thank the Monk Seal Foundation volunteers and local community members that helped keep an eye on her and gave us access to the seal. This was a significant learning event for us all and everyone did great. All activities were conducted under NMFS permit 18786.