More than 150 corpses of endangered Caspian seals were found on the shore of the Caspian Sea in the Mangystau region. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture told Kursiv.media that the reason for the massive death of animals is yet to be clarified.
«In the Bautino district of the Tupkaragan district, the recent storms have washed hundreds of bodies of critically endangered seals to the shore. Scientists say that they have found 151 corpses for now,» Azamat Sarsenbayev, a Kazakhstani blogger, posted on his Instagram.
Scientists are currently investigating the cause of the seals’ deaths. So far, it is evident that many of the corpses show signs of “physical damage.”
The agency revealed to Kursiv.media that inspectors had discovered the corpses four days ago.
«Investigators from the inspection center, local authorities, the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology and the Qazaq Balyk Republican Association of Fish Farming and Aquaculture promptly arrived at the site. The cause of death will be determined after the necessary laboratory investigations are completed,» the statement read.
The agency highlighted that they are actively monitoring the Caspian shore.
The Caspian seal is the smallest seal in the world. This species is endangered and is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
In April, investigators discovered 12 corpses of the animal. Altogether, more than 180 seals have been found dead on the shore since March. Although all necessary samples were collected, no results have been disclosed so far.
In 2023, fish inspectors found 59 seal carcasses, while between October and December of 2022, 172 carcasses were discovered. The cause of this mass mortality was determined to be acute pneumonia, likely exacerbated by viral infections due to weakened immunity. One contributing factor to the seals’ reduced immunity appears to be pollution in their habitat.
