Elephant seals undertake extraordinary migrations and have recovered from near-extinction, but now face increasing plastic pollution, entanglement, and climate-driven prey changes.
Elephant seal males fight intensely for breeding territories and dominant bulls sustain significant injuries. Natural conflict is part of their life history, but anthropogenic threats add additional welfare burdens. Entanglement in discarded fishing gear and plastic debris can cause injury and death. Ingestion of plastic debris is documented. Climate change-driven El Nino events reduce prey availability and have caused significant pup mortality events. Tourism disturbance at breeding beaches causes stress. The recovering population is now exposed to increasing noise from military sonar exercises. Plastic debris entanglement, while affecting a small proportion, causes prolonged suffering in affected individuals.