What Sealed Their Fate?

A drone survey has revealed an estimated 5000 Cape fur seal foetuses aborted on the shores of Namibia (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/16/estimated-5000-cape-fur-seal-foetuses-spotted-on-namibian-coast). This species will abandon its young or abort foetuses, when there is a shortage of food but this event represents a large proportion of the expected natal recruitment. This could certainly have a very detrimental effect on the seal population that will be felt for several years. It is currently uncertain whether this die-off is due to a lack of food, disease or toxins. The last time it happened (1994), the event appeared to be a consequence of a food shortage coimbined with a Streptococcal infection. Now, the seals in South Africa are also having to face predation from Lions on the beaches.