Monk seal born at Kaimana Beach relocated by wildlife officials for its safety after weaning - Hawaii News Now

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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The monk seal pup born at Kaimana Beach has been separated from his mom and is being moved to an undisclosed location for its protection after weaning.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Rocky, the mother seal, showed signs of weaning her pup Koalani on Wednesday — a process in which the mother seal begins to stop nursing and guiding the pup.

NOAA and DOCARE officers conducted the move overnight, marking the end of the state’s 24-hour-a-day presence at the popular Waikiki beach to ensure the safety of the animals as well as the public.

“This was a very large operation in terms of man power,” said DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla.

“Our Oahu branch has been tasked with daily operations for about the last two weeks and pretty much all of the Oahu branch officers have been assigned to this duty at one time or another — some more than others. We have had to divert some of our priorities and make this the operational focus.”

The unprecedented law enforcement overwatch operation began on Aug. 3 after a swimmer encountered the monk seals while in the water in July. Officials said Rocky, the monk seal’s mother, had bitten the swimmer and caused minor injuries.

While Rocky and her pup Koalani were at the beach, DLNR had a section of the beach cordoned off and were keeping people at least 150 feet away.

DOCARE officers said that no citations were given during their beach patrols and that people were mostly compliant of their orders to stay away from the animals.

Koalani was born on July 9, so this is the typical timeline for weaning and eventually separation from its mother.

This is Rocky’s 14th seal pup to date, previously she has made an abrupt departure after weaning but occasionally reunites with her pups for a short period before finally separating.

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