(SCS) Seal Conservation Society Ribbon Seals

The SCS’s Mission Statement To develop and distribute educational material Monitor and attempt to minimize threats to the seals conservation and welfare Provide comprehensive information Advise service on seal-related issues to individuals, groups and the media Maintain close links with and information exchange among animal welfare, conservation groups, rescue and rehabilitation centers, research establishments, government and other organizations

What is the Seal Conservation Society? The SCS was set up in the spring of 1996 They are a non-profit charitable organization They are a group of people who try to rehabilitate and protect the seal population

What About the Ribbon Seals? They are on the endangered list They live around the Canadian and Alaskan coastal areas in the Bering Sea They are mammals They know very little about this species They have a special air sack that scientists don’t know what it is for. This could lead to possible new medical discoveries

Why Are They Endangered? Changes in climate (global warming) Commercial fishing Oil and gas exploration and extraction 100 ribbon seals are killed each year by Alaskan natives From the 1950’s-1980’s commercial sealing vassals killed between 6,500-23,000 ribbon seals each year

What Do They Look Like? Adult ribbon seals have 4 white 10-12 cm wide ribbons. The ribbons are on the neck, rear half, and the fore flippers Immature ribbon seals have light colored stripes, but become more noticeable with age Background fur of adult seals is black Background fur of immature seals is grey

Habitat They are out mostly on pack ice, usually far from shore During winter and spring they are found at the ice front in the Bering and Okhotsk Seas Distribution and movements at other times of the year are unknown

Where does the SCS get their Money? They mostly get their money from donations that people send to the society to help build rehabilitation centers to save seals that are either injured or sick

They Have Celebrity Help Hayden Panettiere She is passionate about stopping the slaughter of whales, dolphins, and seals. She has given many speeches at various universities and has met with many political figures. Her goal is to end the seal hunts and bring the tragic story of the seals back in to the political agenda

Ribbon Seals Taxonomic Group Kingdom- Animilia Phylum- Chordata Class- Mammalia Order- Carnivora Family- Phocidae Genus- Phoca Species- Faciata

Why Should We Save Them? We should save the Ribbon Seals because they are an endangered species. It would be a shame if these animals would disappear from the face of the earth because of mans greed. The SCS will kindly accept your donations and will be pleased that the public understands what kind of danger these animals face each day. If you want to help refurbish the seals population, start thinking now and help them out, time may be running out for our cute friends.

This Was a Presentation by…….. Ally G. & Haley M. 