A Hawaiian monk seal pup recently born on Kauai has been rescued from abandonment following a mom-pup switch.

With help from the U.S. Coast Guard, state and federal officials over the weekend transported the pup, RK58, a male, from Kauai to the Big Island, where he is now under the care of Ke Kai Ola, the Hawaiian monk seal hospital run by The Marine Mammal Center in Kona.

On July 16 the Hawaiian monk seal mom Rocky returned to Kauai to give birth to RK58, which was a relief for wildlife officials following her famous birthing of Kaimana, a female pup, last summer, at the popularly frequented Kaimana Beach Park in Waikiki.

This time she gave birth on a remote Kauai beach near two other mom-pup pairs.

While on the beach, RK58 switched to another monk seal mom to nurse, which wildlife officials say is a natural occurrence in the Northwestern Hawaiian Isles but less common in the main Hawaiian Isles due to the lower density of moms and pups.

When the pup switched the first time after five days, Rocky took him back. When he did it again last week, officials tried to reunite the pair, but she rejected the pup, displayed signs of aggression and left the area.

Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and state Department of Land and Natural Resources were concerned for the pup because he had only nursed W19 days, short of the usual 35- to 50-day period. They decided intervention was necessary before weather conditions worsened.

“While surprising to see a second mom-pup switch on the main Hawaiian Islands, The Marine Mammal Center is prepared to provide rehabilitative care to any Hawaiian monk seal in need,” said Ke Kai Ola’s hospital director, Claire Simeone. “Each individual animal’s survival is critical to support the recovery of the population, and we are grateful to give RK58 a second chance at life.”

RK58 joins Sole, a male Hawaiian monk seal pup who was rescued from Molokai in July following another mom-pup switch, under care at Ke Kai Ola. He will, however, remain quarantined until veterinarians can confirm he is free from infectious disease.

Both pups were malnourished upon arrival but otherwise healthy, according to Simeone. They are the first two documented cases of mom-pup switches occurring in the main Hawaiian Isles.

RK58 will be tube-fed until he is ready for whole fish. Sole is doing well, and transitioning from tube-feeding to whole fish.

The newest arrival is expected to play with Sole in the next few days, she said. Meanwhile the two have been calling out to one another in adjacent pens.

Once both pups are ready, a process that can take one to six months, they will be returned to the wild where they were found.

“Ideally, we want to make sure the animals have every chance of survival in the wild,” said Simeone. “We want to make sure they’re able to fish on their own and at a suitable body weight and condition, so they have those reserves available to thrive in the wild.”

Given that both pups seems relatively healthy, Simeone expects their return to be quick.

Since Ke Kai Ola opened in 2014, 23 monk seals have been rehabilitated, mostly from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. RK58 is the third pup from the main Hawaiian Islands to be rehabilitated at the center.

“This is an unfortunate but natural occurrence that we do see in the wild,” said Jessie Bohlander, research marine biologist for NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, in a news release. “We are lucky to have a great partnership between NOAA, the Hawaii DLNR, The Marine Mammal Center, and others to quickly handle these situations and are hopeful that RK58 will do well at Ke Kai Ola and be successfully released back to the wild.”

Wildlife officials remind the public to remain a safe distance from Hawaiian monk seals, especially moms and pups. Seal sightings can be reported to NOAA’s hotline at 888-256-9840.