Anasayfa Haberler SAD'dan Haberler Badem back home to spend summer
Badem back home to spend summer
Yazar Jane Akatay*   
Cuma, 16 Nisan 2010 08:46
Badem, a Mediterranean monk seal that was found near Didim as an abandoned pup in December 2006, has been known to bite people, and environmental organizations, together with local municipalities in the area, have been warning people not to approach her
SAD, BademBadem, probably the most famous Mediterranean Monk Seal, is back in Turkey after taking herself on a tour of the Greek island of Rhodes during the winter months.
Underwater Research Society, or SAD, and the Mediterranean Seal Research Group, or AFAG, have been keeping a careful watch over her after she was found near the Aegean resort town of Didim as an abandoned pup in December 2006.
At that time she was tiny, vulnerable and close to death, and although she now weighs in at over 150 kilos, she and her kind are high on the list of critically endangered species. There are fewer than 100 remaining around the coasts of Turkey and only 400 or so in total anywhere in the world.
It was therefore with some trepidation that the team, led by Cem Orkun Kıraç, made the decision to let her choose her own destiny last year.
She has been known to bite people, and the organizations, together with local municipalities in the area, have been warning people not to approach her. This is due to the fact that she has no fear of humans. Although people saved Badem’s life, humans are generally a seal’s worst enemy.
SAD, BademThe problem is that Badem is far too happy to be with humans and likes nothing better than to take a break by jumping into a dinghy for forty winks.
Last month Badem was found in a dinghy near Marmaris, recuperating from her long swim from Rhodes back to Turkey where she likes to spend the summer months. According to Zafer Kızılkaya “she was resting in a dinghy, but it seems some people took advantage of this, and we received reports that some people were kicking her and throwing stones at her. Unfortunately the attitude of many Turkish people is that, when they see an animal like Badem, they want to play with her, but really it’s more like torture.”
“This sort of abuse is unacceptable, but is hard to stop. A decision had already been made to take her to a secure, protected place once the season started, and this was planned for the end of May. While it is better for her to be free, it is imperative that she and her kind are safeguarded from danger.”
“In fact, when Badem escaped from the unwelcome attention, she returned to the pen she sees as home. Our resident ‘Badem watcher’ Ä°rfan Yıldırım, who treats her like his daughter, saw Badem trying to get back into her secure pen. He opened it up, and she swam inside. She obviously wanted to be left in peace and undisturbed.”
Kıraç and his colleagues are in the process of creating a center where Badem and other vulnerable marine mammals like her can be protected and if necessary rehabilitated.
 
The next important decision they will have to take is when and if Badem becomes pregnant. As an air-breathing mammal, she will give birth on land. Female monk seals deliver their pups in caves, and it is important that Badem’s offspring do not become conditioned to humans in the same way that she has.
There are few options open to SAD/AFAG, all of which are full of risks, but Kızılkaya is certain they will find a solution to meet Badem’s needs. He is concerned, nevertheless, that on the coast of Turkey there is not one place remaining where any marine mammal can be left free and in peace.
MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEALS FACE RISK OF EXTINCTION
The Mediterranean monk seal is the most endangered pinniped species worldwide and is currently on the brink of extinction. Although formerly found all over the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and northwest African coast, the species' numbers have now been reduced to perhaps less than 400.
The remaining individuals are found in remote and undisturbed areas around the Mediterranean Sea and northwest African coast. The most important populations are located in Mauritania / Western Sahara, Greece and Turkey, while small numbers are also present in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, the Portuguese Desertas Islands (Madeira), Croatia and Cyprus.

For centuries Mediterranean monk seals have been killed by fishermen who see the seals as competitors or accuse them of destroying their fishing gear. In the past the seals were also killed by those who believed that sealskin and seal parts were able to provide protection from a variety of medical problems. The mortality of monk seals by entanglement in fishing gear is still a problem, while over-fishing has also resulted in a general lack of food resources. The species is very sensitive to disturbance, not an advisable trait in the heavily populated and busy Mediterranean region. The increasing use of motor vessels, expansion of fishing effort and areas, coastal construction and increased tourism have all contributed to the disturbance of Mediterranean monk seals, forcing them to retreat from sandy and rocky beaches.

 

*Bu yazı "Hürriyet DN South" 13 Nisan 2010 sayısından değiştirilmeden alınmıştır.