Filial Imprinting in a Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
2010
The Marine Mammal Center hand reared a male Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) after it was found abandoned as a neonate in June 2006. Following release in April 2007, the animal repeat- edly approached humans on the shore, necessi- tating long-term captive placement. To evaluate the extent of this preference for human contact, we conducted three behavioral assessments: (1) a stationary preference test, (2) a following test, and (3) a vocal playback test. This sea lion demon- strated an overall penchant for human interaction and a strong preference for the voice of one of his early caretakers. Filial imprinting, a developmen- tal phenomenon extensively studied in birds but less so in mammals, is suggested as the cause of this aberrant social behavior. The long-term effects of imprinting in mammals, including impacts on reproductive success, remain poorly understood. This observation with a Steller sea lion is the first documented case of probable imprinting in this species.
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