• ’ -\ 
) WORLD'S LARGEST MARINE EXHIBIT 
March 3, 1965 
Mr. Michio Takata, Director 
Division of Fish & Game 
State of Hawaii 
400 South Beretania Street 
Honolulu, Hawaii 
Dear Mich: 
I am sorry to have to report the deaths of two Hawaiian Monk 
seals here at Sea Life Park in the past week. As you know, 
the male which we have had in captivity for almost a year 
developed ulcers. Our vetemarian, Dr. Takayama, suggested an 
experimental program of forced feeding and medication, which we 
followed for some weeks. Autopsy showed that this program was 
in part successful, as five ulcers in the®iimal s stomach were 
healed and a sixth was healing. The cause of death was a fatty 
heart condition, possibly due to prolonged inactivity, which 
can be avoided in future cases. 
The other^seal was a yearling female captured by fishermen off 
Maile.^ Routine examination showed a dangerously heavy infestation 
of hook worms, tape worms, and strongyles. We administered a 
one-third dose of a mild vermifuge,tend the animal died. Autopsy 
revealed that the stomach lining was about 85 percent ulcerated 
by the worms, which of course led to direct absorption of the 
vermifuge into the blood stream. In any case this condition 
would have been fatal. 
We thought you might like to have this information for your 
files. 
Aloha 
(Mrs.) Karen W. Pryor 
KWP:le 
D) A ' U»p <f pawn 
MAKAPUU POINT • WAiMANALO • OAHU • HAWAII 95795 PHONE 
