Núcleo Museológico "O Lyceu" - Objects with History

Taxidermized Sea Wolf

October: Taxidermized Sea Wolf
Origin: Madeira Island
Dating: first half of the 20th century
Photography: Carlos Rodrigues
Research and text: Lília Castanha, Aida Pupo and Teresa Visinho

Animal Day is celebrated On October 4th. The Museum holds a collection of taxidermized and preserved animals, from the former pedagogical museum, associated with natural science classes. Since the second half of the 19th century, these high school museums have been acquiring these educational materials to allow for direct observation of specimens.

Among the animals on display, a young sea wolf or Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus (Hermann, 1779), stands out. It is the rarest seal in the world. They can reach over 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 300 kg, living up to 20 or 30 years in the wild. They spend most of their time in the water and can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes, feeding on octopuses, fish, and crustaceans.

Although this species is a true seal (family Phocidae), with characteristics distinct from sea lions, Gonçalves Zarco, the discoverer of Madeira, gave them this name due to their roars and sharp teeth. The species was abundant in the archipelago during the 15th century, but exploitation for their fat and skin nearly led to their extinction.

In 1990, the Desertas Islands Natural Reserve was created with the goal of protecting this species, yielding positive results. However, these animals remain vulnerable due to habitat occupation and destruction, as well as the occurrence of severe injuries and death caused by fishing nets and other gear. Recently, a few individuals have been spotted sporadically along the coast of Madeira Island.