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A malnourished Hawaiian monk seal pup from Molokai is being cared for at Ke Kai Ola, a hospital for the endangered seals in Kona, according to The Marine Mammal Center, which runs the facility.
The pup, named Sole by the Kalaupapa community, is now in stable condition at the center, where he is being fed a blended fish mash.
The center, with support from the National Park Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rescued the pup late last week and brought him to Ke Kai Ola for treatment. The U.S. Coast Guard flew the pup from Molokai to Kona by helicopter.
Born June 20, Sole weaned prematurely from his mother earlier this month and switched to nursing from another monk seal mother, according to wildlife officials, a behavior that has occasionally been observed among other pups in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
The public should keep a safe distance from monk seals and report Hawaii island sightings to Ke Kai Ola’s response team at 987-0765. Seal sightings on other isles can be reported to the NOAA hotline at 888-256-9840.
National Guard soldiers deploy to Egypt
About 90 Hawaii National Guard soldiers with the Hilo- based 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry Regiment will be part of a deployment ceremony Saturday ahead of a peacekeeping mission to Sinai, Egypt.
It’s the first Hawaii Army Guard deployment to Egypt and is part of the expected deployment of about 1,000 Hawaii citizen soldiers this year to the Middle East and Europe, officials said.
The soldiers will support the Multinational Force and Observers, an international peacekeeping force created by agreement between Egypt and Israel.