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As many gray seals have never been counted off Heligoland

2022-01-11T09:52:51.963Z


The gray seal population is recovering: conservationists have reported a record number of births for Germany's largest predator on Heligoland. But people should keep their distance.


Enlarge image

This baby seal in white wool fur looks great to cuddle.

To protect the animals, however, people should rather keep their distance

Photo: Rainer Jensen / dpa

Gray seals once contested the fishermen's catch - that is why they were almost extinct in the North Sea.

But the population of Germany's largest predators continues to recover.

After the Wadden Sea Secretariat in Wilhelmshaven had already recorded decent growth over the past five years, the Jordsand Protection Association has again reported that more gray seals are being born again.

On Heligoland, a new high was reached again in the 2021/22 littering season, said Rebecca Ballstaedt, the association's protected area manager responsible for the gray seals.

669 animals have been born so far.

The pups' fur is not yet waterproof

The main birth time is over, currently one or two animals are born per week.

The first young animals of this season on Heligoland were born in mid-November.

Last season, 653 gray seals were born on Heligoland - one of them on the main island.

Since the first recorded gray seal birth on the Heligoland dune in the winter of 1996/97, the number of births has increased annually.

According to the information, especially the first weeks of life of the gray seal pups are very sensitive.

At birth, the young animals have a white "baby fur", the so-called wool fur.

It protects against wind and cold, but is not waterproof.

Therefore, for the first few weeks, the little seals have to lie on sections of the beach that are protected from flooding.

If the seals are disturbed, according to the Jordsand Association, this can lead to the connection between mother and young being broken, or the young animals going into the water and not surviving there.

To protect the animals from being disturbed by people and to protect people from being attacked, the beaches have been closed to visitors since November.

With a length of up to 2.3 meters, the bulls can weigh more than 300 kilograms.

The females are up to two meters long and weigh up to 185 kilograms.

An adult animal eats up to six kilograms of fish and other marine animals every day.

apr / dpa

Source: spiegel

All life articles on 2022-01-11

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