The Strange—but Necessary—Task of Vaccinating Wild Seals | National Geographic

you’re walking around with a sharp

you’re walking around with a sharp needle on the end of a stick and you’re

needle on the end of a stick and you’re

needle on the end of a stick and you’re walking around rocks and high schools

walking around rocks and high schools

walking around rocks and high schools and some terrain that could be tricky

and some terrain that could be tricky

and some terrain that could be tricky and then you’re approaching 400 plus

and then you’re approaching 400 plus

and then you’re approaching 400 plus pound animals and endangered species and

pound animals and endangered species and

pound animals and endangered species and you’re gonna try to you know jab it with

you’re gonna try to you know jab it with

you’re gonna try to you know jab it with a syringe the NOAA Hawaiian muscle

a syringe the NOAA Hawaiian muscle

a syringe the NOAA Hawaiian muscle research program is the only group that

research program is the only group that

research program is the only group that is proactively going out and activating

is proactively going out and activating

is proactively going out and activating a large subset of a marine mammal

a large subset of a marine mammal

a large subset of a marine mammal populations anywhere in the world right

populations anywhere in the world right

populations anywhere in the world right now so it really is a very unique

now so it really is a very unique

now so it really is a very unique program that we’re excited to be

program that we’re excited to be

program that we’re excited to be starting out one step at a time there

starting out one step at a time there

starting out one step at a time there are between 1200 and 1300 Hawaiian monk

are between 1200 and 1300 Hawaiian monk

are between 1200 and 1300 Hawaiian monk seals left they live exclusively in

seals left they live exclusively in

seals left they live exclusively in Hawaiian waters and so they range from

Hawaiian waters and so they range from

Hawaiian waters and so they range from the big island at the southernmost end

the big island at the southernmost end

the big island at the southernmost end of the archipelago all the way out to

of the archipelago all the way out to

of the archipelago all the way out to Kure atoll at the end of the

Kure atoll at the end of the

Kure atoll at the end of the northwestern Hawaiian Islands entrance

northwestern Hawaiian Islands entrance

northwestern Hawaiian Islands entrance and I discovered that having a hand

and I discovered that having a hand

and I discovered that having a hand signal like this in states that the

signal like this in states that the

signal like this in states that the safety is off it’s a good reminder

safety is off it’s a good reminder

safety is off it’s a good reminder morbillivirus is what we’re hoping to

morbillivirus is what we’re hoping to

morbillivirus is what we’re hoping to protect these seals against and people

protect these seals against and people

protect these seals against and people may be more familiar with a few specific

may be more familiar with a few specific

may be more familiar with a few specific more bili viruses such as canine

more bili viruses such as canine

more bili viruses such as canine distemper so that is something that dogs

distemper so that is something that dogs

distemper so that is something that dogs are vaccinated against routinely measles

are vaccinated against routinely measles

are vaccinated against routinely measles is another type of more Bailey virus and

is another type of more Bailey virus and

is another type of more Bailey virus and that’s the morbillivirus that affects

that’s the morbillivirus that affects

that’s the morbillivirus that affects humans so if you know much about measles

humans so if you know much about measles

humans so if you know much about measles you know that once it starts to spread

you know that once it starts to spread

you know that once it starts to spread it spreads really quickly this virus has

it spreads really quickly this virus has

it spreads really quickly this virus has killed seals in other parts of the world

killed seals in other parts of the world

killed seals in other parts of the world on the order of tens of thousands of

on the order of tens of thousands of

on the order of tens of thousands of animals if you think about that relative

animals if you think about that relative

animals if you think about that relative to the number of monk seals that are in

to the number of monk seals that are in

to the number of monk seals that are in existence we really don’t think that the

existence we really don’t think that the

existence we really don’t think that the population could sustain an outbreak of

population could sustain an outbreak of

population could sustain an outbreak of a morbillivirus

when we’re working with seals where

when we’re working with seals where we’re trying not to disturb them unless

we’re trying not to disturb them unless

we’re trying not to disturb them unless it is for a specific purpose and that’s

it is for a specific purpose and that’s

it is for a specific purpose and that’s one of the reasons that for the

one of the reasons that for the

one of the reasons that for the vaccination project we’re really happy

vaccination project we’re really happy

vaccination project we’re really happy that we’ve been able to incorporate

that we’ve been able to incorporate

that we’ve been able to incorporate using this tool it’s essentially a

using this tool it’s essentially a

using this tool it’s essentially a spring-loaded syringe on a pole where it

spring-loaded syringe on a pole where it

spring-loaded syringe on a pole where it gives people a safe distance away from

gives people a safe distance away from

gives people a safe distance away from the seal in case the seal does rear back

the seal in case the seal does rear back

the seal in case the seal does rear back and respond a lot of the seals so far

and respond a lot of the seals so far

and respond a lot of the seals so far haven’t responded very dramatically they

haven’t responded very dramatically they

haven’t responded very dramatically they may lift their head turn their upper

may lift their head turn their upper

may lift their head turn their upper body and vocalize and then lay back down

body and vocalize and then lay back down

body and vocalize and then lay back down and now they sleep so regrouping I can’t

and now they sleep so regrouping I can’t

and now they sleep so regrouping I can’t believe how totally non impressed they

believe how totally non impressed they

believe how totally non impressed they are with our needles they generally just

are with our needles they generally just

are with our needles they generally just go right back to sleep and back to the

go right back to sleep and back to the

go right back to sleep and back to the business as usual for so long with the

business as usual for so long with the

business as usual for so long with the boy and monk so we’ve been spending so

boy and monk so we’ve been spending so

boy and monk so we’ve been spending so much trying trying to fix the things

much trying trying to fix the things

much trying trying to fix the things that are going wrong and we need to get

that are going wrong and we need to get

that are going wrong and we need to get ahead of this and to try to do something

ahead of this and to try to do something

ahead of this and to try to do something preventative instead of just following

preventative instead of just following

preventative instead of just following behind

personal pups are taani but they are

personal pups are taani but they are ferocious in their own right