Dozens of seal pups have been found stranded in southwestern Kazakhstan after a snowstorm. Young seals, likely disoriented by the blending of ice and snow, strayed inland due to harsh winds. The Caspian nerpa faces population threats from poaching and pollution, complicating rescue efforts as reports about the stranded seals continue to emerge.
A significant number of seal pups have been discovered in a remote section of the steppe near the Caspian Sea, following a severe snowstorm in southwestern Kazakhstan. According to Andrei Rucki of the Mangystau Region fisheries inspection, these young seals, only a few months old, typically remain close to their mothers on the ice. The intense winds from the storm may have displaced them inland, a situation not entirely uncommon.
Ecologist Adilbek Kozybakov provided an alternative explanation for their stranding: the optical blending of the ice-covered sea with the snow-covered coastline may have confused the pups, leading them to stray too far. Initially, only a few seals were reported, but the situation quickly escalated to dozens, leaving the exact reasons for their stranding yet to be fully understood.
The blizzard that resulted in the seals’ stranding also halted road access for several days and impacted oilfield operations in the area. Reports continue to surface, leaving it unclear how many seals remain stranded or how many have been rescued thus far, as reported by Kazakh news outlet Zakon.
The Caspian nerpa, the sole seal species found in the Caspian Sea, is already endangered due to various environmental pressures, including poaching, pollution, decreasing water levels, and habitat loss. The Mangystau region, although one of Kazakhstan’s most developed areas with a focus on oil and gas, is home to fewer than 800,000 residents across an expansive territory of 165,000 square kilometers.
The discovery of dozens of young seals stranded in Kazakhstan highlights critical environmental challenges faced by the species, exacerbated by severe weather conditions and human activities. As the Caspian nerpa population continues to decline due to various threats, understanding and addressing these issues becomes paramount. The situation remains dynamic with ongoing assessments about the fate of the stranded seals.
Original Source: tvpworld.com
