Caribbean Monk Seal officially extinct
It’s depressingly and unfortunately official – the Caribbean monk seal which was aggressively hunted in the past and began spiralling towards decline as far back as the 1490’s is now extinct! The last sighting of this seal species was in 1952. It is the first seal species to go extinct solely due to human causes.
Image above: Hawaiian Monk Seal – Copyright James Watt
Across the world a range of other species are dwindling fast including the Hawaiian and Mediterranean monk seals. In the UK, it has been reported that the common (harbour) seal is also declining at a ‘frightening’ rate.
The Seal Protection Action Group is active in a range of campaigns to protect seals all over the world. Please check out our campaigns section for further information on how you can get involved.
