"Devastating Impact: Avian Influenza Decimates Penguin and Seal Populations"
Over 95% of southern elephant seal pups born last year in Argentina have died from a highly virulent strain of bird flu, raising concerns among conservationists and scientists. The outbreak has led to a "catastrophic" mass mortality event, with over 17,000 seal pups succumbing to the virus. Researchers fear that the virus may have mutated to be transmissible from mammal-to-mammal, potentially impacting the seal population for years to come. The virus has also been linked to mass mortality events in sea lion colonies in South America, and its impact on adult elephant seal populations is still being studied.