More than 2,500 dead Caspian seals have washed up in the Russian Republic of Dagestan in the North Caucasus. The Russian authorities reported on Sunday that the cadavers were found in various places in and near the capital Makhachkala.
On Saturday there were talks of as many as 700 dead seals. The cause of death of the protected animals was initially unclear. Investigations were ongoing, the number of carcasses could continue to rise, authorities said. An initial examination of the carcasses revealed no evidence of hunting or suffocation in nets, and water samples initially showed no unusual levels of contamination.
‘Largest mass extinction in a decade’
“This is the largest mass extinction of the Caspian seal in the last decade. The reasons will be determined after conducting laboratory tests on the pathological material of the dead animals,” the state news agency TASS was quoted as saying by a spokesman for the agency.
The Caspian seal is an endangered species and enjoys special protection. According to animal rights activists, their population has declined by about 90 percent in the past 100 years – also due to the increasing pollution of the Caspian Sea, where oil is extracted, for example.
The animal population has declined sharply
According to experts, the animals are dying from oil leaks, poaching and overfishing. It is estimated that the population has declined from over a million seals in the early 20th century to about 68,000 seals.
Just four weeks ago, 131 dead seals washed up on the shore of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh government listed the animals as endangered species in November 2020.
Source: Krone
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