National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Photo: Caribbean Monk Seal Extinct, U.S. Officials Declare


Email to a Friend	<< Back to Full Story

The Caribbean monk seal, also known as the West Indian seal, has not been spotted in the wild since 1952. In June 2008 U.S. officials declared the animal extinct.

The species, seen above in an artist's rendering, was hunted extensively for its meat and blubber from the 1700s to the 1900s. Biologists say the seal's population eventually became so small that it was no longer sustainable.

Picture courtesy NOAA Historic Fisheries Collection