The Northern fur seal was discovered thanks to the Russian naval expedition, at the origins of which was still Emperor Peter the Great. Planned on the eve of his death, the study of the Far North-East of the empire was embodied in two Kamchatka expeditions led by Vitus Bering. During the second expedition, as a result of the shipwreck, the sailors were forced to winter on the island, which later received the name of Bering.
Bering's assistant Georg Steller, a naturalist and doctor, discovered strange animals on the island's rookery. So Europeans first learned what kind of animal - a fur seal. Later, Steller left notes, according to which the famous Swedish biologist Karl Linnaeus and classified an unknown northern animal.
It is difficult to say why Steller decided to call these animals cats. The sounds they make have nothing to do with the purring of a furry pet. Maybe their fur seemed to Steller like a cat? It is also unlikely.
The fur seal belongs to the eared seal family. This is a predatory animal that feeds mainly on fish. Interestingly, Steller sea lions, also belonging to the eared seal family, often compete with fur seals for coastal territories. The fact is that the breeding periods of both of them partially coincide, and at this time the males arrange a “showdown”, trying to push competitors away from convenient places suitable for females with newborn cubs.
Steller sea lion is much larger, and in the battle "one on one" he will inevitably win. But the fur seal does not seek to arrange martial arts. Taking advantage of the fact that he is much more mobile, the cat gathers relatives and they four or five attack the sea lion from different sides. In this case, it is difficult to predict the result of the fight. It often happens that a sea lion, passing in front of small and brazen aggressors, leaves the disputed territory.
However, to say that a fur seal is small will not be entirely true. The body length of the male reaches two hundred and twenty centimeters, and the mass exceeds three centners. Females are less massive: their “height” is one hundred forty centimeters, and their weight is not more than seventy kilograms.
Fur seal range is the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. Immediately after people met this animal, hunting began on it. Valuable fur turned out to be the object of desire. In the mid-eighteenth century, the number of seals was simply incredible. But people were too greedy. The hunt was conducted for centuries, and by the middle of the twentieth century the species was in danger of extinction. But, thank God, people caught on time. In 1957, an international convention for the protection of fur seals was adopted. Their livestock began to recover. Now fishing is in very limited quantities. Many territories where previously there were numerous rookeries of seals were empty. In particular, Tyuleniy Island, which got its name precisely because the number of pinnipeds on it was very large.
Seals are easily trained, so they are so popular with circus artists. These animals are born equilibrists, and they cleverly juggle in the circus arena with balls or any other objects. Perhaps, of the seals, the highest aikyu is precisely the fur seal. Photos of performances and attractions, where the cat is the main character, invariably show his high artistry and intelligence.
