Translation 2783

cephalopods.
..... 1^)
;aiid and,jrravel are often found in t1ieir .,to:aachs.
The s-oecific co:n_)osition of their diet has not been adequatiLely investiC;a:ted..
Juvenile elet)hant seals :ubsiot for a,bout a mon-uh on
their accumulated fat j:eserves after tra,tisition to an independent
mode of life, and tnen. begin to eat small crustaceans.
It is believed that tue natural c4iemies of elephant seals
Szâis
may include su_--a leopardn, which prey on tne young pups, and also
killc.r wha.le:i.
I.a,tural mortality may reach a hiEh level (up to 50^,)
among new-born elepha.nt scal pupo as' a recuit of crt.l::hi.ng by adult
males, starvation, or various diseases. Thirteen helminth sï.)ecies
parasitize the internal organs of the seals (intestines, stomach,
heart, and lungs) and also their layers of fat.
The most intensive hunting of elephant sealü formerljr took
place on South Georgia Island. After fur seals had been exterminated
on that island the killing of elephant seals gs.eatly increased, and
by 1885 their numbers were seriously reduced. 'r,hen the 1.untinCr of
them was prohibited the population recovered rapidly, and by 1910 it
had at;ai.n rea.clied an economic level. i;estrï.ctcd hun-Ling of elephant
seals i•ra,s re--introduce(I in that year, witl-i the issue of special lic--
enccs to '._ill a
definite nu:iber of r?a1es; different 1),:.1•tq of a rookery
are to be used alternately for hunting tiie animals, and some
parts remain prohibited; tne dates of the opon season are fixed from.
March 1 to ï;ovember 1. The killinC,^ of females and pups is i'orbidden.
extènt to which elephant seals were s].auün-uered during
the 20th cen ^ur.y may be ,,athered from some scattered da La. i'rdi:t 1927
to 19,15 1Q5,000 elephant seals were killed on :,out; ►
Ceor^•,•ia Island;
the lowest :zill in one year was 3,989 in 19^;2, and. the highest during
that period was 6,652. The h:i.C;'hest uecorded kill in any year was
7,877 in 19517 out of a limit of 0,000; in 19;2 6,000 were killed.
We do not have data for later years at our disposal.
The rno:ct populous elepiia.:.t seal roakei•,, is L,tra,t or_ ',:',outn
Geor,.;ia Island, i-rhere there a_ e 51Ca,000; rookeries are located
on Kerguelen Island i,100,000) and r;acqua.x•ie Island ^.;.5,000j. It is
believe^i
the tnti-.l tiumber of tttare an.i,,.a:l.s in ril:l. o Lncr parts
of ulh:?ir ran,^,,,e is util'J. about 100,000. ;;il. to,tal nui.luer of eJ.eplia.nt
r.eals in ^a].1 retrioios is estimated at b^,cween bv0,Gu0 and 700,000.
95