{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T04:10:39Z","timestamp":1779163839211,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,9]],"date-time":"2026-03-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773014400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Open Access Publication Fund of the University of Rostock, Germany","award":["P4-714"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P4-714"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Well-founded animal models of maternal separation show that early postnatal separation from the mother represents a massive stress factor for the offspring, with far-reaching negative effects on their physical and behavioural development. However, studies also show that the effects of maternal separation can be at least mitigated by appropriate physical attention. In this case report, we document the successful rehabilitation of a single orphaned male harbour seal pup by attempting to substitute natural maternal attention with intensive human attention. The pup underwent excellent physical development and displayed a close bond with its carers, characterised by intensive physical contact and suckling on a carer\u2019s hand. However, during the final rehabilitation phase in a large outdoor enclosure, the pup increasingly reduced its affiliation to its carers. After its release, long-term observations over four years documented its hunting success, corresponding optimal physical development, and successful integration into existing wild seal groups. At the age of four, the now sub-adult seal displayed socio-sexual behaviour that is typical for this age and maintained a close bond with a wild female seal for months. The report shows that the rehabilitation of orphaned seals is possible by substituting maternal care with human care, resulting in neither a fixation on humans nor modifying species-specific behaviour. Thus, the pup\u2019s chances of survival and potential reproduction in the wild were not jeopardised by this method of rehabilitation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani16050851","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,9]],"date-time":"2026-03-09T15:49:42Z","timestamp":1773071382000},"page":"851","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Raising and Releasing a Single Orphaned Harbour Seal Pup\u2014A Case Report"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5722-1734","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guido","family":"Dehnhardt","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Sensory & Cognitive Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany"},{"name":"Marine Science Center, Am Yachthafen 3a, 18119 Rostock, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Barbara","family":"F\u00f6lting","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Marine Science Center, Am Yachthafen 3a, 18119 Rostock, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yvonne","family":"Kr\u00fcger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sensory & Cognitive Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany"},{"name":"Marine Science Center, Am Yachthafen 3a, 18119 Rostock, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"434","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn2639","article-title":"Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition","volume":"10","author":"Lupien","year":"2009","journal-title":"Nat. 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