A rare albino seal pup was spotted by marine biologist Vladimir Burkanov on a trip to the island.
It is very tender to see him, but this unusually golden-colored seal pup could be removed from the group precisely because of its unusual coloring.
The cub is less than a month old and was born on Tyuleny Island in the Okhotsk Sea, Russia, where a large colony of sea lions lives. The rare animal was spotted by Vladimir Burkanov, a biologist expert in marine animals, during a trip to the island. The small seal is affected by a form of partial albinism and stands out very much among its peers due to its fawn color, blue eyes and pink fins. According to experts, the chance that an otaridae (Eared seal) with partial albinism will be born is one in 100 thousand.
We see it as a beautiful animal, but unfortunately its diversity is creating numerous problems for us because the other sea lions tend to reject it, as happened in 2011 to another similar specimen.
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A post shared by Vladimir Burkanov (@bigdaddivladi)
The biologist who spotted it observed precisely signs of rejection by the other animals in the colony, but fortunately not by the mother. “This cub seems well fed and very active, the other sea lions seem to ignore him in a little worrying way, so there is something wrong. But he doesn't get chased or bitten, ”Burkanov explained.
The albinism of these tawny seals is thought to prevent them from seeing well. Burkanov believes that, based on his experience as a marine biologist and years of observing seals, the chances of the pup surviving and reproducing are sadly nil.
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A post shared by Vladimir Burkanov (@bigdaddivladi)
Experts will now monitor the pup to be able to catch it in case it is completely driven out of the colony. We hope for a happy ending because if he were to remain alone, his life would end in an aquarium.
Fonte: Vladimir Burkanov / Instagram
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