'Kitty Litter' Parasite Is Wiping Out One Of Earth’s Rarest Seals

Hawaiian monk seal RT10 with her third pup on the north shore of Oahu in 2017. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY NOAA FISHERIES
Hawaiian monk seal RT10 with her third pup on the north shore of Oahu in 2017. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY NOAA FISHERIES

'Kitty Litter' Parasite Is Wiping Out One Of Earth’s Rarest Seals

In May, two critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals were found dead on a beach on Oahu. Both were female, and one was pregnant. After performing a necropsy, veterinarians determined that both animals died of toxoplasmosis, a potentially fatal disease that originates in domestic cats.

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