|
Ritzy, a rare and beautiful female fur seal, made a dramatic recovery
at The Marine Mammal Center. Still showing scars from the net that was entangled around her neck and had caused her to
strand, Ritzy was released along with two female California sea lions, Toothpick and Daddy-O, two months after her
rescue.
Because her species is considered threatened
and she was far from her natural territory of Guadalupe Island off Baja, Mexico, Ritzy was fitted with a satellite
transmitter to monitor her movements. We were able to reciever data from the transmitter for two months. The reason
we lost transmission is likely due to the fact that the tag is designed to drop off when the animals molts. Ritzy's
western-most recorded position was about 300 miles from her release site at Pebble Beach, California.
By
1897, after decades of being hunted for their luxurious fur, Guadalupe fur seals were thought to be extinct. However,
in 1954, an expedition to Guadalupe Island found a colony of 14 seals there. In 1987, scientists counted 3259 Guadalupe
fur seals at the island. Ritzy's successful rehabilitation will add another animal to this threatened population,
increasing their chances for recovery.
If
you are interested in this artwork; please use the email or phone number at the bottom of the page. Or you can click on "Ordering" in
the navigational bar.
|
