Nine-year-old female RF30 (and daughter of the battle scarred RK30, profiled last week) gave birth to our first Kauai pup of the year. PK1 is her first known pup—and he’s also confirmed to be a boy!
PK1 is an active pup. When he was first sighted by a volunteer, he was reported to be circling mom, looking for a meal. And he’s found great success in discovering where his nourishment comes from, is learning to swim, and continues to be quite active. First time mom RF30 seems to be adjusting to motherhood quite well. She’s attentive but also doesn’t hesitate to pin the pup down with her front flippers if she doesn’t agree with what he’s doing. In this, she’s exhibiting behavior that’s reminiscent of her own mother. RF30’s even perfected her mother’s spectacular side-eye.
As positive as the relationship between mom and pup appears to be, the first couple weeks of a pup’s life are critical to ensuring a strong bond is created with its mom—and especially with a first-time mom—so she doesn’t abandon her pup. In the water, moms can also be unpredictable and have been known to act aggressively towards nearby snorkelers, swimmers, and/or fishers. Two good reasons to give moms and pups a wide buffer when on land and in the water. Hawaiian monk seals are protected by state and federal laws. It is illegal to touch, harass, injure or kill a Hawaiian monk seal.
Kaua'i Seals 