Prematurely weaned monk seal pup sent to The Marine Mammal Center

PP08, a weaned female Hawaiian monk seal pup, vocalizes in her rehabilitation pool at The Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola hospital and visitor center in Kailua-Kona, HI. The Marine Mammal Center, NOAA Permit #18786-03/Special to West Hawaii Today

PP08, a weaned female Hawaiian monk seal pup, explores her rehabilitation pool at The Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola hospital and visitor center in Kailua-Kona. (Photos by Lauren Van Heukelem via The Marine Mammal Center/Special to West Hawaii Today)

PP08 rests during rehabilitation.

Weaned Hawaiian monk seal pup PP08 prepares to enter her rehabilitation pool at The Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola hospital and visitor center in Kailua-Kona. Approximately 30 percent of monk seals that are alive today are due to conservation efforts led by NOAA and partners like the Center. (Lauren Van Heukelem via The Marine Mammal Center/Special to West Hawaii Today)

PP08, a weaned female Hawaiian monk seal pup, vocalizes in her rehabilitation pool at The Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola hospital and visitor center in Kailua-Kona, HI. The Marine Mammal Center, NOAA Permit #18786-03/ Special to West Hawaii Today

The Marine Mammal Center, the world’s largest marine mammal hospital, admitted an endangered Hawaiian monk seal from Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument at its hospital in Kailua-Kona the center announced Wednesday. The successful rescue and transport of PP08, a prematurely weaned female pup, was made possible thanks to the Center’s partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).