Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 85, January 2009, pp. 1-20. | Page 14

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“I have no idea where it came from,” he admitted, “and can only guess that it was
discarded by some zoo. However, as far as I know there were (and are) no Caspian seals
in Israeli zoos, so it must have come from another country.”
Other experts have meanwhile reiterated their faith in the monk seal hypothesis.
A DNA analysis has yet to be conducted (The Monachus Guardian).

Threats
The main threats arrayed against the Mediterranean monk seal include:
1- Habitat deterioration and loss by coastal development, including disturbance by
tourism and pleasure boating;
2- Deliberate killing by fishermen and fish farm operators, who consider the animal a
pest that damages their nets and „steals‟ their fish, particularly in depleted coastal fishing
grounds;
3- Accidental entanglement in fishing gear leading to death by drowning;
4- Decreased food availability due to over-fishing pressures;
5- Stochastic events, such as disease outbreaks.

19th century seal hunt in Tunisia

The Mediterranean monk seal is particularly sensitive to human disturbance, with
coastal development and tourism pressures driving the species to inhabit increasingly
marginal and unsuitable habitat. In some pupping caves, pups are vulnerable to storm
surges and may be washed away and drowned.
Unforeseen or stochastic events, such as disease epidemics, toxic algae or oil spills may
also threaten the survival of the monk seal. In the summer of 1997, two thirds of the

Gazelle – Number 85 – January 2009