Hawaiian monk seals.
Toxoplasmosis (T. gondii) has killed 12 Hawaiian monk seals (Neomonachus schauinslandi) in the main Hawaiian Islands since it was first documented in 2001. As there are only about 300 seals in the main Hawaiian Islands, T. gondii poses a significant threat to their survival. T. gondi is a single cell parasite with multiple hosts. While it can infect any warm-blooded animal, it can only reproduce sexually in the digestive system of a cat. One infected cat can release millions of T. gondi eggs in its feces. These eggs can survive for months and can be transported by rainwater and runoff into the ocean. Just one egg can infect a monk seal that consumes contaminated water or prey. It is almost always lethal to monk seals, but has also killed other Hawaiian wildlife including the Hawaiian crow, Hawaiian goose, and spinner dolphins. You can help by keeping your cat indoors and support the control of feral cats in Hawaii. These seals were painted in Procreate from a reference photo I took of two healthy young male monk seals that we were fortunate to see playing at Kahe Point on Oahu. There were at least three seals there that day, which was really special since we seldom see them SCUBA diving. Message me for scale changes.