Hawaiian monk seals are considered as a "living fossil". They have been around for more than 13 million years, virtually unchanged. But their population has fallen more than 60% over the past 50 years. Unlike other seals who live in frigid water and in large groups, monk seals are tropical solitary creatures. They stay well away from other seals and humans, and some nursing mother can become greatly agitated when they are disturbed, so much so they may abandon their pups (Phew! I am not the only evil mother LOL)... which is perhaps one of the reasons why only 1 in 5 new pups reach their adulthood.
夏威夷僧海豹算是活化石，在過去 1300 萬年來生態幾乎沒有什麼變化，但是近 50 年來，數量卻銳減過半，目前被列為瀕臨絕種。跟其他大部分生長在冷水海域及群居生活的海豹不同，牠們生長在暖水海域，而且喜獨居；尤其是母海豹更不喜歡被打擾，有時候甚至會為了避免干擾而丟下小海豹不管呢 (所以不是只有我這個媽媽邪惡 LOL).... 或許是這樣小海豹的存活率才不高吧 (1/5)