A Southamerican fur seal reached the RECS



At mid-morning of 26th, 2012 some visitors detected a South American Fur Seal pup on the coast of Costanera Sur. It was a 60-cm-long individual, which was not aggressive and apparently exhausted. One of the biggest reproductive colonies of this species is on the “Isla de los Lobos”, Oriental Republic of Uruguay, at the mouth of the Río de la Plata. It is common to find calves of this species along the Río de la Plata coast. They lose contact with their mother in the estuary and look for shelter in the coast.
The quick intervention of Juan Carlos Sassaroli and Andrés Capdevielle made it possible to capture and refer this seal to the Buenos Aires Zoo where specialists care for and recover these individuals to be brought back to their natural habitats. This lost immature individual would not have survived by itself at sea. The Veterinarian Sassaroli works at the Reserve by agreement with the Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur to rehabilitate the fauna that appears in the city. The naturalist Capdevielle works at the Buenos Aires Zoo and carries forward the project to rescue raptors in conjunction with the Reserve. Thanks to their good will, equipment and know how the rescue of this South American Fur Seal pup was possible.
Along the argentine coast the most frequent species is the South American Sea Lion. It is bigger and males have a robust neck covered with a thick mane.
South American fur seal
26-06-12 © Eduardo Haene
South American fur seal
26-06-12 © Eduardo Haene
South American fur seal
26-06-12 © Eduardo Haene
South American fur seal
26-06-12 © Eduardo Haene