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There are thought to be more than 200,000 Atlantic Grey
Seals ranging from Scandinavia to France. Of these more than half are
found primarily on the coasts of West Scotland and the Scottish Islands,
West Wales, the south west and western Ireland. The population has
recovered well in the last ninety years from a low of only some 500
individuals in 1914. Until this time, the seals were hunted throughout
their range.
In the late 1980's, a virus killed more than 10,000
common Seals in British waters, however, the Atlantic Grey Seal was more
resistant to the virus and few died although blood tests have shown
antibodies to this infection to be widely present in Grey Seals.
There are indications that the West Wales population of
this species are increasing. This can only be good news for local
tourism, for along with Bottlenose Dolphins
and Red
Kites, they are high on the list of species that visitors to the
area look forward to seeing.
© 2004 Rod Attrill
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