Alert Cuteporters Jennifer C. and Phil P. is reporting that a rare albino seal pup with ginger-colored fur was abandoned by the colony in Tyuleniy Island, Russia.
According to the Yahoo News story: the seal pup “was hiding beneath logs when the photographer spotted him. ‘The poor seal is almost blind and so was unlikely to survive in the wild,’ said the photographer, who was with staff from a dolphinarium who took it into their care.”
Photo by Caters. Ahn. [head tilt]
What do the other seals have against a widdle redhead seal pup?
YAY! I’m first!
As it happens, Cryos just stopped accepting sperm from redheads because they’re in too little demand outside of Ireland.
You’d expect sea creatures to be less shallow than humans.
I believe that’s my pup. Let’s see, yes, a shoe-horn-shaped birthmark under the leftr front flipper.
What an amazing and precious creature! It is wonderful that this little one was found by people who care and will give it a safe environment in which to grow and, I hope, flourish! Eloiseariel
no enhancement on the little pink nosie? :c
I’m not so sure about this. Its harsh to leave a wild, blind seal to die but nature is harsh. Cute doesn’t play a factor. By “rescuing” this creature, creatures further up the food chain have been deprived of a meal for themselves or their offspring. I think it would have been better to leave the creature to its fate.
WHAT?!!!
They’ll cope somehow. From a wider standpoint, since this seal is unlikely to breed, then taking it into captivity is essentially the same as killing it in terms of removing it from the gene pool.
Yes, nature can be harsh but what human could look that baby seal pup in the eyes and then leave it there to die. I know I couldn’t.
Maybe it was the pups fate to be found by the photographer and saved, who knows. I just know that leaving it there helpless to face a certain death wouldn’t be an option for this human.
As for depriving another larger animal and it’s offspring a meal… I don’t think one seal (a unique albino seal at that) taken out of the food chain equation is going to make or break any species. Just sayin.
100% ditto
Hear, hear!
Team Save-a-Ginger-Seal
Agreed!
I took an injured ground hog to a wildlife rehab place. I’m sure there are those that would say the world would not miss one more ground hog, but I could not just walk away from an injured suffering animal!
Gizmo, thanks for being such a realist. You’re probably a breath of fresh air at funerals too.
lol
emerson, you’re my hero. and a funny hero at that!
Totally in agreement! Kudos to the rescuers!
This comment should have a LIKE button for me to hit
I totally agree on your theory. Let nature take care of itself…humans are part of nature too and should absolutely help fellow creatures in need when they come upon them.
This seal’s colony abandoned it to its fate because a blind albino seal threatens the colony as a whole. They don’t have the resources to protect it.
Humans rescued it because as humans, we can often afford the luxury of compassion for and protection of the helpless. It’s part of what makes us human. It’s one of the best things about us.
There are plenty of helpless, defenseless creatures for those on up the food chain. They won’t miss one albino seal.
Thank you.
This, exactly.
Perfectly said.
I’ll bear that in mind if I ever see you in need of help.
That’s not very kind.
Both sides have valid points. The food chain isn’t going to miss one seal pup. But we humans often do more harm than good by interfering with the natural order.
No more unkind than the original comment. There is after all a surplus of humans so it could easily be argued that it’s wrong to interfere with the natural order of things by helping them.
I agree.
Who said anything about surplus? You specifically told the original poster, a fellow human being, that you would not help him/her if you saw him/her in distress. That is unkind. And if you think that’s okay, however many human beings there are, I feel sorry for you.
Totally agree with AuntiBellum. Gizmo was pointing out the natural order of things and it just happened to not fit with the regular “oohs and awwws” of this blog. It doesn’t mean that this person is unkind in any way.
Plus it started up a pretty interesting discussion, so nothing wrong with that.
What animals? I doubt any other seal in captivity will starve because of this poor little pup. As for the natural order, we humans have been stomping all over that for millennia with domestication of animals and extinction of others, so why fuss over saving a single seal pup?
And since we have plenty of humans in need, why help ANY animal? Why bother trying to save the pandas, since their biology means that they will make themselves extinct even without our help? We could better use our resources to save animals like elephants.
Obviously God brought that man to find that poor little creature!
From what I hear seal populations have been booming so I don’t think the loss of this little guy will affect the predators.
Just the pinniped police here. I think that’s a sea lion pup, not a seal. Check the ear flaps and the front flippers. Still cute. But why all the ginger-hating over at Yahoo News today? http://news.yahoo.com/nobody-wants-ginger-children-221409600.html
Hey pinniped police – it is a seal. It’s a fur seal. Technically speaking, sea lions ARE seals. In fact, they are eared seals. And the “seals” that you are thinking about (harbor seals, grey seals, harp seals, etc.) are all called true seals because they lack ear flaps and the ability to rotate their rear flippers and support themselves on their front ones.
I am so surprised you did not also point out sea lions/seals often leave their pups hidden on the shore while they hunt.
This little guy was probably not abandoned, but patiently awaiting its mother to return with food.
Whether we call it a sea lion, or seal, I think we can all agree it is the teenies of blorps. I can’t believe it was … HIDING UNDER A ROCK.
I want one of those! It can go right here next to my tiger and the baby goats.
He looks to me like he’s been hanging out with some bunnies somewhere. ‘Cause by the look on his angry face, they seem to have taught him how to disapprove of everything.
I think I know what he disapproves of: “The world’s largest sperm bank is telling redheads to keep their semen. Demand for ginger-haired donors is so low that Cryos International says they needn’t bother donating.” (from the NY Daily News online). So his chances of cuddling up to a nice lady seal are pretty low (assuming it’s a he).
Holy Crap!!
Don’t breed out all the redheads! I know some gorgeous ones.
Holy carp! My SIL, nephew and niece are all rojos!
I’m a ginger, bishes!
*Darkening* Redhead speaking here, and I am throughly offended.
And AS a redhead, y’all you you don’t want to make us angry. You wouldn’t like us when we’re angry…
I’m married to one! At least, I think he’s gorgeous. And since I met him eight years ago, I’ve become more and more aware of how much anti-ginger sentiment there seems to be out there, but I still don’t understand *why*.
wow. prince Harry, hello! and marmies! stupid sperm-buying girls. I never had a problem finding guys who appreciate the ginge & frecks…
and is that guy not the cutest lil’ seal you’ve ever seen?
I can imagine him in some Horatio Caine sunglasses….
Thank you Jan! What would “Miami” be without Horatio Caine and his sunglasses!? My best friend is a big beautiful redhead too!
I have varying degrees of red washed through my hair, it’s great.
Also, I am ded of the Qte.
you’d be mad too if you couldn’t see and yer ass was always cold.and there was no one to talk to.
this is making me all teary with sadness. too much identification with seal.
*hugs*
*more hugs*
SEAL OF DISAPPROVAL!!!
*snorf giggle giggle gasp wheeze thud*
Ya beat me too it.
I’m a ranga too. Albeit a slightly greying one.
*indignant sniff*
Don’t make me put on my recessive genes and open up a can of carrot-topped whoop arse, ’cause this ginger girl is red-y and willing to do it!
you go girl….
I’ve got black hair I’ve been trying to dye red since my teens. Gingers are beautiful. Some people have no taste..
You had me at peenk flippahs…
First thing I noticed after I read “albino”.
I’m glad they rescued him/her. The original post didn’t say, it at that.and, I wondered how the photographer could just leave
I saw this on MSNBC with the pics of him hiding. It made me cry!!! :*( I love him so much and I want him to come home and live with me and my cats. They would love him! I’m so glad they rescued him. He deserves to have a nice and loving home. I know they were thinking about sending him here to the US because we have seals with the same condition.
They should’ve! THEY SHOULD HAVE!!!!!!!!!! O mighty Cute gods, why hast thou forsaken me??!!!
He looks a bit like the Lorax.
He speaks for the Seas!
But I also speak for the brown Barbaloots,
Who frolicked and played in their Barbaloot suits,
Happily eating Truffula fruits.
This little guy is the cutest Lorax I have ever seen.
Every time I look at him I hear Willie Nelson singing “Blue eyes crying in the rain”
Red-headed stranger?
I think this needs a “Cute or Sad?” tag. Poor sea lion.
dolphinarium ??? How did that ever become a word ?
Probably when they opened the first one……..
*snerk*
I went to one when I was 7, which was *mumblemumble* years ago.
Um, more than 20.
Arrr, I be in moderashuns!
Were be the rum?
a-hem. *points at name*
i agree with Jessy. natural selection aside, it’s ok by me that someone saves this widdle red sealio.
Hahaha! That was funny, scarlet!
Let’s form a group–People for the Protection of Pink Pinnipeds!
er.. that would make PPPP .. not exactly a rallying cry. In theory, though, I’m in favor!
PPPP… could we do the pee-pee dance at our meetings? can i be the secretary- treasurer that embezzles the funds?
Cute little baby! I’m am confused about one thing though. Red furred albino? I thought the very definition of albino was white fur/skin and red/pink eyes.
@Kristi: Geek alert, aherm, aherm. I do believe that this reddish color phase and very pale blue eyes is an extremely rare form of albinism, in which there are some recessive melanistically-challenged pigmented cells extant, but are not completely absent, as are the more common extremely dark brown fur and black eyes of the more normal dark phase of your sea lion. Whaddya say?
Yeah, if the sealio is albino, the eyes just aren’t quite right-shouldn’t they be red? I think it’s like the white tigers..some sort of genetic hiccup. Regardless, yay for photographers in the right place at the right time.
I believe we can call the pup an albinoid.
Dunno whatdidyased, but I’m impressed
Thank-ee, BMC, I dunno whadeyesed either, but I’m impressed myself.
According to the story I read (I too, probably with hundreds of CO cute-porters, sent this in) his fur is red because of a high level of iron in the water.
Regardless of the cause, this little guy can’t get much cuter, can he!
Does this water weenie have a name yet? I vote for a Weasley-themed name in honor of the ginger fur: Ron, Fred, George, Bill, or Charlie if it’s a boy (but never, ever Percy), and Ginny if it’s a girl. Crookshanks was also a ginger, though not officially a Weasley.
“Water weenie?”
OK, I loled.
And I totally agree with a Weasley-based name for the poor lil guy.
I’ve always seen a resemblance between dachshunds and seals/sea lions–except for that whole flippers vs. legs and droopy ears vs. no ears. vs. ear nubs thing. Other than that, they look exactly alike–long bodies, stubby appendages, pointy noses, silly attitudes, loud barks, and so forth. Plus, I LOF THEM!
There are more pictures and story here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2037734/The-lonely-seal-wanted-Pup-abandoned-having-rare-brown-fur.html
Thanks for the link.
Why do so many people insist on calling this sea lion a seal even after someone pointed out the truth? Do you call chimpanzees monkeys? And no, a sea lion is not a kind of seal.
Because in the grand scheme of things, it Does. Not. Matter.
because this is cute overload and not semantics overload?
*snerk*
Because Vestibule, it is a seal. It’s a fur seal. Or, scientifically speaking, an eared seal. Look it up people, and educate yourselves!
He looks like he should be wearing little sealio spectacles! “Where ah mah spec tack uhls Sir?!”
Him little pink flippers! swoon.
I have looked at this story, shared it on twitter and stared at lil’ Gingee numerous times and it still gets to me. I mean it still breaks my heart! The way he looks straight into the camera and that one with him far away from the other seals. Waaaah.
But I’m so glad he was found. No doubt he has plenty of fish and attention now.
This makes me wanna cry. Imagine how terrified that pup must have been, blind and hiding in the bushes, not knowing what’s going on around him.
Yay for the photographer!
“Al-blind-o”? How mean! Better not let him hear you call him that!
I know! Caught that too. Har!
Low blow! Meg goes into the penalty box.
Thank you photographer and dolphinarium for taking this baby into the care of experts.
Just call the little darling “Weasley”! Neither masculine nor feminine and perfectly suited to it’s adorable looks.
But if it’s red coloration IS primarily due to a high iron content in the local waters, that means that when it starts to shed it’s baby coat, we may well have a true white seal, assuming that baby truely is an albino and not just melanisticly (sic) challenged. Plenty of room in the gene pool for variation.
Ah–beauty in simplicity. “Weasley” is perfect!
Oh yeah…I like redheads too. Married to one and all my kids started out as redheads. Sadly, they’ve mostly gotten over it, but still have red highlights in their hair. Only problem I have with a houseful of redheads and semi-redheads is keeping a galloon size bottle of UV factor 1,000,000,000,000 sunblock in my purse all the time! Nothing worse that a bunch of fried redheads. Me, I’ve got a slug of Native American in me that’s left me darn near fire-proof!
Poor little thing. Such a lonely start. He must have been so frightened. I’m so glad that he was rescued and will be given a chance at a happy little life. Bless his rescuers. I hope he thrives and feels safe and nurtured now. I hope he is soon happily splashing around and romping with a bunch of pals!
YOU ARE THE CUTEST REDHEAD EVER! hope you get to have a very happy life!
I liked how someone was calling him Prince Harry. Lol! Perfection!
Take 85: Still adorable; still heartwrenching. I send a thousand ginger {{hugz}}!
Poor wittle ginger baby! Don’t worry, even if those mean seals abandoned you, we hoominz will love you and cuddle you and feed you nommy fishes!
I’ve seen other pics of him, and it’s so sad. In one he’s looking at the other seals playing, all by his lonesome. In others, he’s hiding under a log and looking hopefully at the photographer. He was so scared, lonely and sad-looking, I can only be happy this poor little creature will be taken care of by kind people.
He should get a job at my office. Almost all bosses are gingers here. Coincidence? I think not!
PEOPLE. this guy needs to be an internet meme pronto. “seal of disapproval”, anyone?
PURRFECT
How can you not tear up at this? How could anyone consider not helping this beautiful, living, feeling, terrified little being? Thankfully someone helped.
Yes definitely one for the ‘cute but sad’ category. He is so precious! How could anyone not fall in love with those sad blue eyes and that boop-able wee nosicle in the most delicate shade of pink? It’s good to know he will be well cared for now.
)
I hope he gets lots of cuddles to make up for being rejected by his colony.
Errr, that wasn’t the smiley I was aiming for – meant this!
I would have adopted him, too, with a face like that.