The species is considered critically endangered, with fewer than 1,200 left in the wild. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program recorded 121 monk seal pups this year, up from 103 in 2013. The increase might seem minor, but for a species with such a small population, it’s a huge victory.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/14/hawaiian-monk-seal-comeback_n_5968536.html?utm_hp_ref=cute-animals