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Mother Cape Fur Seal Feeding her Pup, Cape Cross, Namibia | Cape Cross - Namibia (IMG_3704.jpg)

Mother Cape Fur Seal Feeding her Pup, Cape Cross, Namibia

Pups suckle soon after birth, establishing a strong bond between mother and pup, essential if mother is to find their young in the midst of tens of thousands of bleating pups. Sound and scent play an important role in mother-infant recognition, and in the first few months after being born, life is perilous to say the least. The infant mortality rate is 30%, with jackals and brown hyenas amongst the principal predators. At only 8 months, it's time for mother and pup to take to water to fish, sometimes staying out at sea for 4 or 5 days. Pups continue to nurse from their mothers for a year, and at the age of 3, females are ready to mate.
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