Cape Cross Seal Reserve is home to the largest breeding colony of Cape Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) on the planet, with at times up to 210,000 seals present during November and December. In mid-October bulls come ashore to establish breeding colonies, defended by heroic chest-to-chest combat, pushing, biting and waiting for pregnant, adult females to arrive on the scene. Not to be outdone, the females fight for a place within a territory, and eventually a male may lose half his body weight establishing his 'patch.'