World Wildlife Foundation

Mediterranean monk seal

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:19:14 +0000

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Monachus

Size:
Length of male: 240 cm
Length of female: 238 cm
Weight of male: 315 kg
Weight of female: 300 kg

Status:
Classified as Critically Endangered (CR) by the IUCN Red List 2007. Listed on Appendix I of CITES and Appendices I and II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS, or Bonn Convention).

The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the most endangered mammals in the world. The description of this species by Aristotle was the first known written description of a pinniped (a group that includes seals, sea lions and walrus), and the head of a monk seal appeared on one of the first ever coins, around 500 BC. Adults have a brown or grey coat, which becomes paler on the undersurface and males often feature a white patch on the belly. Old males are darker in colour and often become black, but retain the ventral white patch. Newborn infants are black and woolly with a white or yellow patch on the belly, the shape of which can sometimes be used to determine the sex of an individual.

Range
Once widespread throughout the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the northwestern coast of Africa, this monk seal has suffered a devastating decline. It is now restricted to a handful of small and scattered colonies in the Ionian and Aegean Seas and the southern coast of Turkey in the Mediterranean, as well as scattered populations on the coasts of the western Sahara and Mauritania, and the Desertas Islands, Madeira. It is thought that just two of these populations are viable, in Greece and northwest Africa. The species has not been seen in the Black Sea for over five years. Although no reliable estimates of total population size exist, it is thought to number between just 400 to 500 individuals, and is declining.

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admin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:19:24 +0000

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Save the animals. Keep them safe.

admin — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:17:06 +0000

The World Wildlife Foundation painstakingly selects the land programmes and the most critically endangered animals grouping them into a 100 List.

We will present to you our 100 List every year or whenever necessary, it will be an imperfect presentation and you may not agree with the entire list, but we shall strive to do our best. As an animal charity, we rely on the support and donations of others in order to pursue our causes. Saving these endangered animals is not an easy task. You will note throughout this site that there are many obstacles that must be overcome in order to achieve our goals and we have to set about tackling these obstacles in the correct way if we are to achieve a lasting success.

Animal conservation is not a lone operation and the more people who get involved the better. Therefore, we invite members and representatives of any animal charity to join with us in support of these endangered animals. With action required all over the World, we need as much localised support as possible in order to establish and manage conservation programmes. The 100 List can work side by side with an animal charity in any part of the World in order to help save these endangered animals.

Land Programmes

admin — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:16:08 +0000

Here at World Wildlife Foundation we research a range of projects in strategic locations throughout the world. We will work alongside a local conservation or an animal charity, to create solutions to the problems threatening the endangered animals.

How Can You Help?

admin — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:15:19 +0000

We need donations from individuals and organisations in order to provide safe breeding grounds for the endangered species as part of our land programmes. We require monetary donations with which to buy land. We also require money so that we can pay compensation to landowners in return for not killing endangered animals that have killed their livestock.

Spreading the word about our organization and the message aimed at educating people are just as important as donating money. Join an online campaign today!