There were around 2,500 seal bodies that were spotted dead on the shore of the Caspian Sea in Russia, as noted by BBC News. There were no signs that indicated that these seals died violent deaths.
Initial reports stated that around 700 dead seals were spotted along this shoreline. However, as the investigation was further conducted, the number significantly increased. The number of dead seals on this shoreline has reportedly risen to 2,500.
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Dead Caspian Seals Found Along Caspian Sea Shore
According to Zaur Gapizov, who governs the Caspian Environmental Protection Center, the seals may have died around two weeks before. Authorities do not have proof to conclude that these seals were killed or caught in nets, leading to their untimely deaths.
BBC News notes that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment from the Dagestan region relayed through Telegram that many seals were found between two river mouths, namely that of Shurinka and Sulak.
According to ABC News, prosecutors and specialists from the Federal Fisheries Agency examined the shoreline where these seals were spotted. They also gathered samples and data for research and analysis. As they were doing so, they did not observe the presence of any pollutants.
In the past, many mass deaths among seals were reportedly caused by natural conditions or factors. In fact, in Kazakhstan, where the Caspian shoreline is quite long, three mass seal deaths were reported just this 2022.
Authorities think that these untimely deaths could have been due to natural factors. However, the specialists who took samples from these dead seals stated that the cause behind these deaths could be understood when results from lab tests are released.
Caspian Seals of Caspian Sea
According to Animalia, Caspian seals are unique and exclusive to the Caspian Sea. They cannot be spotted anywhere else. In fact, they are the only marine mammals that reside in the said sea.
While around a million seals existed when the 20th century began, their population has reduced by more than 90%. This can be attributed to pollution at an industrial level as well as too much hunting.
ABC notes that while the number of Caspian seals reached roughly a million in the 20th century, the Caspian Environmental Protection estimates that the number of Caspian seals is now down to 70,000. The Fisheries Agency, however, has a different estimate of around 270,000 to 300,000.
They have been considered endangered species since the year 2008. The species' listing was included in the IUCN or International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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