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Unlike most seals, which fast while nursing, harbor seal mothers leave their pups during the nursing period to forage at sea. Researchers believe they may do this because their relatively small body size cannot store enough fat to withstand a fast.
How does a mother seal find her pup? Seal mothers and pups (as opposed to other pinnipeds) generally stay close together on shore and are not separated while nursing. Harbor seals are an exception, and mothers will leave pups on shore to feed offshore.
May 2, 2022 · Mothers give birth to one pup during the spring. At birth, harbor seals weigh around 24 pounds, but they gain weight rapidly during pupping season. Pups will stay with their mothers for 4 to 6 weeks before they are weaned and able to forage on their own.
Seal moms and newborn pups are much safer from dangers in the rookery. While some seals snooze or nurse, others are on high alert for predators. Studies have shown that in groups of 8, one seal is scanning the area frequently. In larger groups, more are able rest among the skittish colony.
Jun 16, 2023 · Like many other wild animals, seal mothers leave their pups alone for several hours at a time while they return to the ocean to feed. Keep your distance. Observing pups too closely can discourage adult seals from returning.
There is no evidence that that mom-pup relationship plays any future role in their lives. The weaned pup remains in the rookery, fasting, for an additional 8 to 10 weeks. By mid-March, most of the adult seals are gone, leaving the pups behind.
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