A demonstration of the ability of the harbour seal PhocaVitulina (L.) to discriminate among pup vocalizations

A captive adult harbour seal demonstrated that it could distinguish between vocalizations recorded from different pups. This supports the implication of an earlier study which showed that the pup's call is individually characteristic and might therefore provide one means by which the mother could recognize her offspring and monitor its location. This remote monitoring would be especially important when the pair are in the water where the risk of separation is high.