Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered marine mammals, with ongoing welfare threats from entanglement, injury, and the novel challenges of recovering in a heavily human-impacted environment.
The individualized monitoring of Hawaiian monk seals provides unusual insight into individual welfare. Veterinary teams respond to entangled, injured, or malnourished seals with interventions including debris removal, wound treatment, and temporary rehabilitation. Male-on-female and male-on-pup mobbing behavior is a significant welfare and conservation concern - veterinary interventions to prevent serious injury or death during these events are documented. Shark predation, particularly on Laysan Island and French Frigate Shoals, kills pups and juveniles, representing both a conservation and acute welfare challenge.