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The skull of the leopard seal. The leopard seal has a distinctively long and muscular body shape when compared to other seals. The overall length of adults is 2.4–3.5 m (7.9–11.5 ft) and their weight is in the range 200 to 600 kilograms (440 to 1,320 lb), making them the same length as the northern walrus but usually less than half the weight.
Seal meat is the flesh, including the blubber and organs, of seals used as food for humans or other animals. It is prepared in numerous ways, often being hung and dried before consumption. It is prepared in numerous ways, often being hung and dried before consumption.
The seals that do not breed often play with each other by barking, lunging at each other, and pushing each other into the water. Other behaviors of the animal consist of waving their hind flippers in the water whist face down in the water. Additionally, when interacting with humans, these seals are not typically aggressive.
Brown fur seals are still harvested in Namibia. Permits are issued for the killing of pups for their luxurious fur and adult males for their genitalia, which are considered an aphrodisiac in some countries. It is also considered necessary to limit seal numbers in Namibia because of the supposed effect seals have on the country's fish harvest.
Because of these seals' shy nature and sensitivity to human disturbance, they have slowly adapted to try to avoid contact with humans completely within the last century, and, perhaps, even earlier. The coastal caves are, however, dangerous for newborns, and are causes of major mortality among pups when sea storms hit the caves. [13] [17] [18] [19]
Most fur seals continue this cycle for about 9 months until they wean their pup. The exception to this is the Antarctic fur seal, which has a feeding cycle that lasts only 4 months. During foraging trips, most female fur seals travel around 200 km from the breeding site, and can dive around 200 m depending on food availability.
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As of July 2015, the killing of long-nosed fur seals remains an illegal act. Human activity near seal rookeries has been correlated with distress and panic, resulting in indirect deaths of pups. [15] The use of metal cattle ear tags on pups has also been associated with a decrease in pup fitness due to incomplete healing of the tag site. [15]