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My dear friends,
Sadly, I have some terrible news to share with you. On December 5, 2004, a young female seal was found dead in Mersin Bozyazı. The locals who found her called Ahmet Bolat, the SAD-AFAG official in Bozyazı. The moment they heard the news, my friends from the SAD-AFAG rushed to where she had been discovered. Harun Güçlüsoy travelled to Mersin from Izmir to conduct forensic tests on her body. They concluded that she had probably become caught in a fisherman's net and had drowned. Ahmet Orhan, Zeynel Mulayim and Yusuf Durgut from the region were a great help to my friends at the SAD-AFAG.
I can't imagine a worse way to begin the new year. Despite all the best efforts of the SAD-AFAG to prevent just these kinds of horrible deaths, another young seal has died tragically. There are already precious few of us Mediterranean monk seals left in the sea. Now we have lost another sister. This brings us one step closer to extinction.
If only 2005 had begun with the discovery of a new baby seal, not the dead body of a drowned one. But my friends at the SAD-AFAG have taught me to keep my hopes up. Despair leads nowhere! After all, my poster hangs on the walls of countless classrooms. Children all along the Mediterranean see my face every day, and will hopefully grow up committed to conservation. Here's hoping that next month I'll bring you news of a new baby seal.
Happy New Year.
Sleepyhead
| To become a Mediterranean monk seal mother or father, your donation must be at least 50 YTL. To become a seal sibling, your donation must be at least 30 YTL. 20 YTL or more makes you a seal friend. Contact the SAD-AFAG for details. Tel: +90 312 213 49 00. www.afag.org |
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