Guadalupe fur seal  (Arctocephalus townsendi)

Prized for their luxurious underfur, Guadalupe seals were hunted to near extinction in the 19th century (2) (10). Following its rediscovery in 1954, when just 14 individuals were found, the species has experienced a remarkable recovery, with population numbers having rebounded to a far healthier 7,348 by the early 1990s (10). Nevertheless, some Guadalupe seals may still be killed through entanglement in drift and set gillnets and individuals, particularly juvenile females, have been found stranded with injuries caused by entanglement in marine debris. In addition, El Niño and Hurricane Darby were responsible for 33 percent pup mortality in 1992, but it is not known how the population was affected by the 1997 to 1998 El Niño event (7).

In 1975, the Isla de Guadalupe was declared a sanctuary by the Mexican government and the Guadalupe fur seal is now fully protected under Mexican law (2). The species is also protected in the U.S. portion of its range by Californian law and is listed on Appendix I of CITES, prohibiting any international trade (3). Thankfully, these measures have produced a dramatic rise in numbers, and the future looks a little brighter for the world's rarest fur seal (10).