For Hawaiian monk seals, a glimmer of hope

There were years when we despaired about the survival of Hawaiian monk seals. 

 Image: A young seal at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Credit: NOAA Fisheries Hawaiian monk seal research program.

 

Populations were dropping year after year and nothing seemed to be able to turn that around. Take a look at RaisingIslands' 2008 post on the distressing status of seals at that time.

Now, a little hopeful news. It’s a slow process, but there has been a stabilization, and a tiny, steady increase in numbers for about the last 10 years. Over that time, up from just 1,400 to a current population estimated at about 1,600. 

That’s still only a third of what is believed to have been the stable healthy
population in the Islands, before they ran into humans. 

And right now, that increase is in spite of incidents of people shooting them, their getting hooked on fishing hooks, getting entangled in nets, picking up disease from land animals like dogs and cats, their Northwestern Hawaiian Islands pupping grounds disappearing due to ocean changes, shark attacks, and incidents of attacks by pet dogs. 

NOAA Fisheries in a 2022 release noted that the population had surpassed 1,500 for the first time in some 20 years. 

“From 2013 to 2021, the monk seal population grew at an average rate of 2 percent per year, providing hope for the species’ long-term recovery. Even so, the level required for the species to be down-listed from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act is more than double the current number of monk seals,” the report said. 

It is an enormous task to care for the seal population. Federal officials and volunteers keep close watch on them. Sick and injured seals are regularly removed from the wild for hospital care. 

In November 2024 a malnourished pup from an O`ahu beach was transported to the Marine Mammal Center’s Hawaiian monk seal hospital, Ke Kai Ola, in Kona. 

In October a thin and weak pup from Lana`i and Maui was brought into care. 

In September, three malnourished pups from Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were transported to the medical facility. 

In June, a Kaua`i pup suffering multiple infectious diseases was hospitalized. He was released back into Kaua’i waters healthy in late November. 

Occasionally, seals are relocated to move them from beaches with threats to beaches where they will be safer. 

The effort involves NOAA Fisheries, the Coast Guard, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Marine Mammal Center and lots of volunteers. 

Hawaiian monk seals, the most endangered seal species in the world, are found in the Main Hawaiian Islands, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and on Johnston Atoll, which is about 700 miles southwest of O`ahu. 

If you see a seal in trouble, you can email pifsc.monksealsighting@noaa.gov. Or call the Pacific Islands NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at (888) 256-9840. 

Here is a NOAA Fisheries resource page for more information about Hawaiian monk seals. 

© Jan TenBruggencate 2024

`Alala, Hawaiian crows, are flying free on Maui

Two ʻalalā. Credit: DLNR

The ʻalalā, the Hawaiian crow, is flying free again in a Hawaiian forest for the first time in years.

Five young birds have been released into the Kīpahulu Forest Reserve on Maui. For now, the birds seem to be staying close to the release site, and will be provided with supplemental food until they develop their foraging skills.

ʻAlalā were once found on several Hawaiian islands, but into the last century, the last place they were located was on Hawai`i Island. A plummeting population prompted an intensive effort to protect the species by bringing a few survivors into captivity.

Surviving birds were moved to Maui, and the captive flock was developed through a joint program of the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project (MFBRP), San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW).

Early efforts to re-release them into the wild on Hawai`i Island ran into problems, like crow predation by the also native `io, or Hawaiian hawk. The `io is not currently found on Maui, so wildlife officials hope the ʻalalā will better thrive there.

It has always been the goal to see ʻalalā return to the wild, not only for the birds, but also for the forest. They can play a key role as seed dispersers.

“We understand how valuable ʻalalā are as a cultural resource as well as a biological resource,” said Martin Frye, research field supervisor for MFBRP. “They play a huge role in Hawaiian culture just as much as they do in the Hawaiian forest. Those two things are linked.”

The five birds selected for the release are young, as young crows are less territorial and are expected to be more gregarious than older birds. They are three males and two juveniles

They will have automated feeder boxes available to them, which will distribute food on demand. The birds are fitted with tiny backpacks that contain Global Positioning System transmitters, which will permit tracking them.

“Our focus is currently on closely monitoring these birds to ensure they have the best opportunities to thrive in their new home in east Maui,” said Chelsie Javar-Salas, supervisory U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist for the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office.

ʻAlalā are remarkably intelligent birds, but these youngsters are several generations separated from the wild, so they will need to learn to forage and survive.

From a December 4, 2024, press release: “Success for the project relies on how the birds manage to adapt to their new home and can only be measured over time. The field team will continue to monitor the birds into the foreseeable future, supplementing their food and keeping an eye on their health and wellbeing. For now, the birds are free to roam and explore their surroundings, learning and feeling what it means to be wild.”

© Jan TenBruggencate 2024