Molokai Monk Seal Shot Dead
A young female seal known as “L11” found dead on Molokai on Sept. 19 is confirmed to have died from a gunshot wound to the head. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the results of its postmortem analyses Tuesday.
“Specifically, we found a bullet fragment in association with evidence of severe, lethal trauma,” NOAA stated. “We are waiting on test results to see if L11 had any diseases, but we do not expect the results to change these conclusions.”
The seal’s death marks the third confirmed intentional killing of a monk seal on Molokai in 2021, with several other seal deaths investigated on the island this year. …