This seal was killed 3 months after being released into the wild: 'We're asking for help'
Officials are looking for the person believed to have intentionally killed an endangered Hawaiian monk seal with “severe blunt-force trauma” on Oahu, Hawaii, according to an announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The female juvenile seal named RQ76 – also known as Malama – was found dead on March 12 on a beach on the west side of Oahu, prompting an investigation into the cause of death.
Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered seal species, with only about 1,570 seals currently recorded alive. Endemic to the Hawaiian islands, the seals aren’t found anywhere else in the world and are protected under federal and state law.
The killing of a monk seal can lead to a civil penalty or criminal conviction.
"We're asking for help from anyone who may have seen or heard anything related to the killing of this endangered animal which is not only a violation of federal law but a hateful act against all the people who call Hawaiʻi their home," Frank Giaretto, Deputy Special Agent in Charge with NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, Pacific Islands Division, said in a statement.
Initial results from NOAA’s post-mortem investigation with national marine mammel radiology and forensics experts found the cause of death to be “severe blunt-force trauma,” and that the killing was most likely intentional.
“Malama’s death hits us and our community particularly hard – especially given all the support, care, and monitoring provided to her by our NOAA team, The Center, HMAR, U.S. Coast Guard, and members of the Oahu community,” the agency said.
NOAA rescued Malama in 2022 from a State Seabird Sanctuary on Oahu when she was a two-month-old pup. Malama and her mother were malnourished, but with help from the U.S. Coast Guard, Malama was taken to the Marine Mammal Center’s Hawaiian monk seal hospital on Hawaii Island and rehabilitated to a healthy weight. She was released back into the wild this past January.
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She had only been set free for about three months when she was found dead.
NOAA is asking anyone with information on Malama’s death to call their enforcement hotline at 800-853-1964. There is a potential reward of up to $5,000 for information.
Six monk seals were found dead in 2021 on Molokai Island, prompting an investigation by officials. Some causes of death were unable to be determined and at least two were believed to be from trauma caused by humans. Last November, a man was cited for allowing his dog to harass a monk seal on a beach on Hawaii Island.
It’s not uncommon to see a monk seal on a Hawaiian beach, such as Rocky the Hawaiian monk seal in Waikiki, where around 400 monk seals live. The public is told to stay at least 150-feet away from them.
Hawaiian monk seals have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1976 and are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NOAA has been dedicated to recovery efforts of the endangered species, and the population has increased over the past decade.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hawaiian monk seal intentionally killed on Oahu, officials say
