Each year, hundreds of thousands of South African fur seals splash ashore in Namibia and South Africa to mate and give birth to sleek, playful pups. Along the way, the young seal confronts a host of threats, from hungry sharks and jackals to human hunters bent on claiming its luxuriant pelt. Technically, they are not true seals, which have no external ear flaps. Watch this clip of a jackal on the hunt for a fur seal pup. You need the free RealPlayer to view this clip.
Fur seals start their lives in large breeding colonies on small, rocky islands or inshore beaches.
Adult males arrive at the sites in early fall, with the biggest males typically claiming the best territories. The females follow soon after, with each of the winning males building a harem of up to 30 females, some of which have recently given birth to a pup. Since the pup can't swim, the mom must leave it alone every few days so she can head to sea and stock up on fish, squid, and crabs that will allow her to keep producing milk. She'll nurse the pup for up to 10 months before it can hunt on its own. Hungry jackals roam the colony, looking for unattended pups not yet strong enough to escape.