VILNIUS, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Sixty-one dead seals have been found along Lithuania's Baltic Sea coast in May and June, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) reported on Tuesday.
"This compares to 46 in the entire 12-month period last year. We are seeing the number of dead seals rising each year. Why this is happening is something I'm still questioning," said Jurgita Gustaitiene, head of the animal care centre Nuaras of Lithuania.
According to LRT, biologists from the Lithuanian Sea Museum's animal rehabilitation center will investigate the cause of death by conducting autopsies on the best-preserved carcasses found on the beaches.
The possibility that parasites are involved has not been ruled out, as live seal pups arriving in the area have shown signs of parasitic infestation.
