This program aims to rescue, rehabilitate, and reintroduce sick, injured, and orphaned Mediterranean monk seals into the wild across Greek waters. MOm’s Rescue Team tends to adult seals on location where possible, and transports newborn seals to the organization’s rehabilitation center housed in the grounds of Attica Zoological Park, on the outskirts of Athens.
This amount has been used for co-funding (50%) the purchase of an all terrain vehicle
have donated the initial amount of € 5.000,- that was doubled to € 10.000,-
for MOm's Rescue Team to help them to reach faraway and remote beaches
The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is the only seal species in the Mediterranean Sea and the most endangered seal on Earth. Extensive hunting led to a sharp decline in numbers between the 1960s and 1980s, prompting the IUCN to classify the species as critically endangered. Urgent rescue and rehabilitation capacity is essential to sustain population growth and prevent local extinctions.
The grant of €10,000 will be allocated exclusively toward the purchase of a 4×4 double-cabin pickup truck for MOm’s Rescue Team. The vehicle will serve three critical functions: transporting seal patients (including transport crates and medical equipment) to MOm’s rehabilitation facility; towing the Rescue Team’s inflatable rescue boat and trailer to launch sites; and accessing hard-to-reach coastal areas with no paved roads.
MOm is a Greek NGO, based in Athens that aims to rescue the endangered species of the Mediterranean Monk Seal.
“Usually contacted by members of the public who find an animal in distress, MOm specialists tend to adult seals on location where possible and transport newborn orphan seals to the rehabilitation center. There, veterinarians look after the young mammals for 4-5 months, are fed a special diet to provide the best nutrition, and trained in swimming skills in a pool. Contact with humans is kept to a minimum to prepare the animals for their return to the sea. Seals are then fitted with satellite trackers and reintroduced into the wild.”
Find out more on their own website: MOm