Seals Need Our Assistance
Seals all around the world are endangered. Some face extinction within a few years according to scientists. They are being wiped out by man, disease and natural enemies. They are also slowly dying because of loss of habitat. It would be a real shame if the only seals left in this world were only found in zoos. We owe it to future generations to do everything possible to save these majestic animals.
Seals Face Extinction
There are at least 33 species of seals in the world that are known. There could be more that haven’t been discovered. There are also some who lost their fight to survive and are now extinct. There are four more species that are in very real danger of going extinct in the next few years. The change in climate has affected much of the seal’s territory. Polar ice caps are melting leading to losses for the seal.
All about Seals
They range in all sizes with the largest being over 16 feet long and the smallest being around 4 feet in length. Male seals are known as bulls, females are cows and seal babies are pups. They are from the family of pinnepeds. They get this name because of the wing shape of their feet. They range from the Polar Regions to the warm climates of Hawaii.
Why are so many seals in jeopardy of losing to extinction? A lot of the cause came in 1988 when there was an epidemic of a distemper virus that took its toll on several seal species. One of the hardest hit was the common seal. The common seal is also known as the harbor seal and nearly 1/3 of the population was wiped out because of this virus. Since then their numbers have been increasing but at a very slow rate. During the outbreak the UK made it illegal for even fishermen to kill common seals. They are the only ones with the right to kill a seal since the Conservation of Seals Act of 1970.
Seal Conservation and Marine Parks
These animals are highly intelligent creatures that do well in marine parks and many such parks use seals to educate people about seals. This isn’t a way of life for most seals but parks will usually use seals that cannot make it in the wild anymore. They are considered mammals since they do nurse their young and have fur. They can hold their breath under water for long periods of time. This makes it possible for them to hunt for food in very deep waters. Many people think of seals as lazy but this is far from true. They spend very little time on land and lead very busy lives when in the water. They do have a period of time when they are mating, giving birth and molting that they spend a longer period of time ashore.
Seals are beautiful creatures that need the help of people all around the world to protect them. All hunting of seals should stop and the culling of seals shouldn’t be allowed. Special nets that will not drown seals should be used to prevent the annual deaths of hundreds of seals. There is hope for the future of seals all over the world.
Visit the Hunstanton Seal Sanctuary in Norfolk UK to help the threat against Seals.
Visit the http://www.visitsealife.com/Hunstanton/ Hunstanton Seal Sanctuary in Norfolk UK to help the threat against Seals.
Author Bio: Visit the Hunstanton Seal Sanctuary in Norfolk UK to help the threat against Seals.
Category: Society
Keywords: harbor seal, common seal, seal conservation, marine parks