NEXT UP: the #2 Caspian Seal vs. the #15 Common Kusimanse #2020MMM
Our first battle tonight takes us to the shores of Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan where the Caspian Seal is lounging on the shore sleeping off some herring #2020MMM
Much of the seal's weight comes from eating fish, and as the Caspian Sea has no outlet the water in it tends to accumulate pollution, including heavy metals bit.ly/3356O5J #2020MMM
Our Caspian Seal tonight has been feeling under the weather lately, and is resting up, her nose a bit runny #2020MMM
However, Kusimanse tend to like forests near water, so the shores of the Caspian Sea will do very well, thank you very much #2020MMM
In contrast to the seal, the Kusimanse is a wee one, barely tipping the scales at 1kg and only 33cm long. However, what it lacks in size it makes up in energy. It darts around seeing the sea. #2020MMM
The Kusmanse is an omnivore and can be found in a vareity of human settlements, for example in Benin it is sometimes viewed as a "living pesticide" bit.ly/38AVkb3 #2020MMM
Ducking back behind a log, the Kusimanse looks back, stealing a furtive glance. The seal shuffles in its resting position, feeling listless... #2020MMM
Emboldened by the apparent lack of threat, the wee Kusimanse advances, moving closer and closer to the seal #2020MMM
The seal's body has been fueled by fish, fish that have been swimming in persistent organic pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) & heavy metals like mercury and lead. Those chemicals have infiltrated the seal's body bit.ly/3aId0mx #2020MMM
The Kusimanse senses that this seal has invaded its new territory and it dances, bobs and barks to try and threaten the seal #2020MMM
The seal lumbers towards this loud, litlte, strange thing, but the Kusimanse isn't going to back down! #2020MMM
Unfortunately for the Kusimanse, it seems like the heavy metal accumulation in seals don't occur at lethal levels (Ikemoto et al 2016) #2020MMM
The seal lunges, but is slowed down by a cough, bloody spittle comes out and she feels weakened #2020MMM
The Kusimanse jumps and bites down on the seal's neck, striking hard, but not really making much of an impact on the seal's thick blubber #2020MMM
Fortunately for the Kusimanse, however, seals are susceptable to canine distemper bit.ly/2TYuV1T #2020MMM
In fact, there were mass dieoffs due to canine distemper throughout the end of the 2000s leading to seal population crashes. There's a relation between polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and the disease bit.ly/2TD7kEW #2020MMM
Today, there are sporadic outbreaks of canine distemper in Caspian Seals. Tonight's contestant has a late stage case of distemper bit.ly/3aHlpXu #2020MMM
The exertion chasing the Kusimanse was too much for the compromised Caspian Seal and she succumbs #2020MMM
COMMON KUSIMANSE DEFEATS CASPIAN SEAL #2020MMM #UPSETCITY
