Once the female is caught in the noose she should be removed with 

 all possible speed. Both workers stand for the first time and, with a 

 hard pull that brings the female forward onto her belly, they run sev- 

 eral meters. Running bent over causes less disturbance. When the 

 female is 4 to 5 m from the group one worker drops behind and grasps 

 one or both rear flippers. The female may then be half dragged, half 

 carried either with the workers in tandem or side by side. Running 

 removes the female from the male's presence as quickly as possible, 

 shortens the time the female lacks air, and prevents the female from 

 resisting being moved. The lead worker should be aware that this is 

 simultaneously the moment of greatest stress and the moment when 

 the most important decisions are to be made; he should try to remain 

 calm despite the exertion. 



While dragging the female carefully watch her condition. If the 

 noose is tight enough to prevent her backing out it may also close her 

 trachea. If the female begins to convulse release the rear flippers and 

 loosen the choker immediately. There is little danger of the animal 

 escaping during this procedure. The symptoms and response to 

 asphyxia were given in the section on handling subadult males. 

 Remove the female from the sight of other females as quickly as pos- 

 sible. 



After the female is immobilized in the restraint bar, or placed in the 

 transport cage a single worker returns to retrieve the pup. Special 

 attention must be given to moving pups with attached placentas. 

 These animals must be lifted carefully over rocks or sharp obstruc- 

 tions; even a moderate pull on an attached placenta may eviscerate 

 the pup. To carry a pup with an attached placenta grasp the umbilicus 

 close to the placenta in the same hand that holds the rear flippers. If it 

 is decided to remove the placenta tie off the umbilicus with a piece of 

 string a few centimeters from the belly and cut distal to the string to 

 prevent bleeding. 



To be certain that the correct pup has been captured for a given 

 female place the two captives close together. A vigorous vocal 

 exchange will indicate that the two are a pair; the female will repeat- 

 edly nip any pup but her own. Occasionally a female will even bite 

 her own pup inside the transport cage. Remove these pups to prevent 

 injury. 



Pregnant females too can be captured by noose but these are the 

 most difficult and dangerous of all captures. Pregnant females usu- 

 ally flee at the first sight of a choker unless the approach is made from 

 the water's edge working uphill. From that position they are almost as 

 easy to noose as any other female. But working between breeding 

 seals and the water leaves no room to maneuver away from charging 

 males, and the footing in tidepools is difficult. Also, an extra helper is 

 needed to watch for new males arriving from sea during the distur- 

 bance. Pregnant females, being heavy, cannot be dragged away from 

 the males as quickly as nonpregnant ones, and may be bitten as they 

 are pulled out. These captures should not be attempted unless the 

 acquisition of pregnant animals is mandatory; when captives are 

 required we recommend post parturient females. These captures 

 should never be attempted bv inexperienced workers. 



The problem of greatest concern in capturing females, especially 

 in captures with a noose, is the adult territorial males on the rookery. 

 The greatest danger from these animals is misreading their signals or 

 reacting slowly to their threats. One must not be intimidated by their 

 appearance or by the mental image created by the name "bull seal." 

 These animals have many behavioral characteristics that can be 

 employed against them by a clever worker. Admittedly there are a 

 few males whose aggressiveness and tenacity cannot be dealt with 

 using any combination of tricks. The wise worker identifies these 

 seals and simply works elsewhere. 



Adult males attend to the workers as soon as they are visible on the 

 rookery. Their vocalizations alert all animals to the workers' pres- 

 ence. As soon as the workers have crawled up to the edge of the 

 male's territory the seal will charge. Usually the first charge is the 

 longest and most determined. From the squat position deliver a pow- 

 erful jab to the seal's chest and throat area using the short bamboo 

 pole. Usually one or two jabs will stop the charge. The second 

 worker with another pole should be positioned behind the first so that 

 if the charge does not stop, the lead worker can run while being pro- 

 tected. Deliver as few jabs as necessary since swift motions disturb 

 the females. Do not stare directly at territorial males since this 

 induces them to charge. Instead face obliquely and glance at them 

 occasionally. Lying prone on the ground also reduces the frequency 

 of male charges, although it heightens the sense of vulnerability. 

 After two or three charges the male will usually rejoin the females. A 

 perceptive worker can anticipate each charge since males usually 

 draw a deep breath while looking obliquely at their target just before 

 they rush. If the workers make daily appearances on the rookery to 

 capture females the initial charges will become fewer and less deter- 

 mined. 



Males most often interfere with the capture by blocking the target 

 female from being noosed or removed. With persistent males, tap 

 them lightly on the rear flippers or in the ano-genital area, or tap them 

 lightly in the ribs or on top of the head with a choker. Some males will 

 avoid these mild irritations by moving away. Frequently an overly 

 attentive male (or an aggressive one) can be diverted by tossing over 

 its head small rocks which fall into the rocks on the opposite side of 

 the female group. The small clatter of these stones will mildly disturb 

 the females, and the male may rush to block their exit. The male's 

 attendance on the opposite side of the female group aids captures by 

 keeping the females stationary. Bothersome males can also be 

 diverted by arousing adjacent males. Pebbles cast at neighboring 

 males causes them to vocalize, herd their females, or give a boundary 

 display at the subject male which effectively reduces attention to the 

 workers. 



While the noosed female is being dragged from the rookery, the 

 male may chase her for 10 m or more. The male's chase is the main 

 reason the female should be removed while running. If the male 

 catches the female he may deliver a wound to her back, or may seize 

 her in his teeth so that a tug-of-war ensues. The best tactic is to stop 

 moving the female just before the male reaches her. Use the short 

 bamboo pole to drive off the male if possible. Do not pull on the 

 female being held by a male; allow the male to carry her back to the 

 group and try to divert the male as above. 



Other males may approach from the sides or from the back if the 

 capture has taken a long time. Use a third worker to keep the path of 

 approach open at all times if there are so many males that such clo- 

 sure is likely. After the female has been removed from the rookery 

 proper the danger from males is not over. Peripheral males will be 

 attracted from 50 m or more by the sight of a female above the rook- 

 ery. These males show more attentiveness to the female than aggres- 

 siveness toward humans. Although they can be driven away easily 

 the danger from these animals should not be minimized 



2) Net captures. — If females are to be captured later than the last 

 week of July a hoop net must be used since at this time of year 

 females will not remain stationary long enough to noose them. 

 Catching with a net causes more disturbance than catching with a 

 noose, and since an animal is relatively less restrained with a net than 

 with a noose, the animal is more dangerous to the workers. However, 

 this type of capture requires less experience to succeed than do other 

 types of captures. 



13 



