Sydney Aquarium Dugongs at Sydney Aquarium?

From what I heard, and I can't remember where, possibly the news or the zoo or something but given the seals are so far away from where they should be the zoo is not permitted to release. Correct me if I'm wrong. . . sorry back to the dugongs

 

Hi Jarkari,

It's like tennis with Sydney Aquarium dugongs and Taronga Zoo leopard seals! Permits are not allowed to re-release rehabilitated southern polar seals such as leopard, elephant and Sub-antarctic fur seals into Antarctic and Sub-antarctic waters. There is the fear of disease transmission. However, these animals can be released at the site of capture or even in Tasmanian waters. This is my understanding of the situation anyway.

Taronga has got much PR out of re-releasing its leopard seals when they had enough animals for their captive program. The morals of re-releasing a previously compromised animal that is out of its range (depending on your point of view) at the place it washed up compromised are questionable. Dump off Sydney Heads and hope for the best. A young southern elephant seal that was re-released by Taronga was done so with far more consideration (and expense), with a satellite tag and in Tasmania. She managed to make it almost to Macquarie Island before the sat transmission was lost - hopefully not because she was the right size for an orca offspring training camp.