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The Juan Fernandez Fur Seal (Arctocephalus philippii) is a fur seal that breeds on the Juan Fernandez Islands off the coast of Chile. It is the second smallest of the pinnipeds (the closely-related Galapagos Fur Seal is smaller still). Discovered by navigator Juan Fernández in the sixteenth century, the seals became a target for sealers in the seventeenth. They were thought extinct mid-way through the twentieth century until a population of 200 was found. The population was protected and has grown quickly. There are now believed to be at least 10,000 animals on and around the island.
[edit] References
- Seal Specialist Group (1996). Arctocephalus philippii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU D2 v2.3)
- Randall R. Reeves, Brent S. Stewart, Phillip J. Clapham and James A. Powell (2002). National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN 0375411410.
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