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COURTESY NOAA
A Hawaiian monk seal known as KE18 pounces on a seal pup at Kure Atoll. Federal marine wildlife officials have captured the seal and removed him from the wild. KE18 has been attacking pups on the atoll
A Hawaiian monk seal removed from the wild because he was attacking fellow monk seals pups is moving to the mainland.
The seal known as KE18 left Hawaii on Thursday for a marine laboratory at the University of California-Santa Cruz.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says scientists will study him to better understand the endangered species and why its population is declining 4 percent per year.
KE18 is expected to move to a marine park or other public facility in Hawaii after about two years.
KE18 wounded ten of the 13 pups born at Kure Atoll last year, and is believed to have killed two pups. He’s spent the past couple months at the Waikiki Aquarium where officials took him after removing him from Midway Atoll.
