NOAA prepares to relocate Hawaiian Monk seal pup from Kaimana Beach
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KAIMANA BEACH, Hawaii (KITV) — Loli’i, also known as Hawaiian monk seal pup P02, may have been weaned from its mother, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Wednesday.
According to NOAA the pup, born in late April on Kaimana Beach, officially turned six weeks old – an age consistent with weanings for Hawaiian monk seals.
NOAA Fisheries, and its non-profit partner Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR), will step in to safely move Loli’i from Waikiki, to a less populated, undisclosed beach. The relocation of Loli’i is not only crucial to the survival of this endangered species but also the safety of the public.
“If conditioned to human interaction, Loli’i could accidentally injure people he seeks out in the water,” NOAA said in an updated statement. “Unfortunately, we have seen this happen in the past. As a result, we had to capture the conditioned seal and either send it to a remote location or place it in captivity.”
Once relocated, NOAA, HMAR, and other partners will continue to monitor Loli’i for a few months at his new beach.
As for the pup’s mother, RK95, also known as Kaiwi, she’ll restore her energy reserves and begin a new productive cycle.
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