This bouncing ball of meat is actually a "sea treasure"?

Review expert: Chen Yu, paleontological restoration artist

There is a national treasure on land, taking naps in trees and digging bamboo on the ground. It is loved by people all over the world for its cute black and white appearance.

So are there any “national treasures” in the ocean?

Of course there is, it is the harbor seal (Phoca largha).

Harbor seal source: Wikipedia

Agile Fat Man

Harbor seals live more in water than on land, but they will crawl onto land when they breed. Long-term life in water has caused their forelimbs to lose the ability to support their bodies and walk freely on land. Therefore, the seals we see on land will crawl forward in a slightly laborious posture, like a tumbling ball of meat.

These plump seals, like many people, also like to bask in the sun . The daily leisure time is when they climb onto the reef to enjoy the sun after a full meal. This is the perfect time to observe them.

Harbor seal mother and cub on the ice

Source: Wikipedia

But when you look at the leopard-like fur of harbor seals, it's hard to imagine that the spots aren't natural. Like many other mammals, harbor seals go through a molting process.

Harbor seal pup

Source: Wikipedia

Newly born harbor seals have soft fur. As the pups grow older, the "fetal hair" of the newborn harbor seals gradually fades and turns into spotted fur, which is what we see now. In addition to the pups, adult harbor seals also shed their fur in the spring every year.

Harbor seal molting Source: Wikipedia

Harbor seals in crisis

Harbor seals mainly communicate in the water through sound, so they are very sensitive to sound. Different harbor seals will make different calls in different situations, such as the threatening roars of male seals when facing danger, and the calls of female seals when looking for their children.

Harbor seals are social animals that communicate with each other through special sounds . When a harbor seal in a group is affected by noise, it will pass the danger information to its compatriots, causing the rest of the individuals to become highly alert. This mental tension is not good for the health of harbor seals in the long run, affecting all aspects including reproduction, and may also cause temporary or even permanent hearing loss in harbor seals.

Harbor seal source: Wikipedia

Historically, harbor seals were once on the verge of extinction due to human activities. Humans coveted their unique fur and wanted to turn it into fur that shines under the spotlight, while others coveted their meat and believed that their meat and oil had unique medicinal value.

In addition, the environmental pollution caused by various projects and the uncontrolled discharge of chemical wastewater are like ropes that leave the spotted seals with nowhere to retreat.

Source: hippopx

Fortunately, China has established two spotted seal nature reserves in 1992 and 2001 respectively. Although the number of spotted seals has rebounded, it is still pitifully small overall.

Environmental protection is a distant issue for many people, but its impact has a long-term and lasting impact on all aspects of human life. Like the harbor seal, there are many other animals that continue to suffer the threat of human destruction of nature.