Harem masters
On land, fur seals gather into colonies, which consist of harems—groups made up of an adult male, up to fifty females, and pups conceived the previous year. Males are easy to distinguish from females: they are significantly larger and have a noticeably thicker neck.
Male Cape fur seals arrive at the traditionally used coastal areas in October or November to claim territories. The larger and better the territory a male occupies, the larger his harem will be. The females arrive slightly later and settle in the territory of the chosen male. They mate with him after giving birth to pups conceived the previous year.
The harem master guards his territory with such intensity that for the first few weeks of the breeding season, he doesn’t leave it at all and survives solely on fat reserves. He warns off any rival by "barking" and adopting a dominant posture, and if that isn’t enough, a fight ensues, full of pushing and biting, often very fierce. The thick fur on the male’s neck helps protect him from serious injury during these battles.
CZECH: Páni harému
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