Rare seals released to sea in NE China

Staff members prepare to release a spotted seal into the sea in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 10, 2019. Thirty-seven spotted seals were released into the sea on Friday in the coastal city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province. The 37 released seals were among 100 spotted baby seals that were illegally poached in Feb. 2019, according to local authorities. A total of 39 seals died, and the surviving 61 have been taken care of by animal experts and vets in local aquariums and the Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute. The first batch of 24 seals was released in April. The seals released to the sea on Friday were all fully recovered and are healthy enough to survive in natural habitat waters, according to Lu Zhichuang, a researcher with the institute. Spotted seals are under Class One national protection in China. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)