SYNANTROPIZATION OF STELLER SEA LION (EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS, SCHREBER, 1776) IN KAMCHATKA WITHIN THE LIMITS OF PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY (RESULTS OF 20-YEAR-LONG MONITORING)

Abstract

The problem of adaptation of the Steller's northern sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus, Schreber, 1776) to the coastal water area adjacent to the town of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is presented in the article. There are two stages in the sea lion synanthropization. The first stage is associated with rookeries formation, foraging near vessels and in the bay in area, in the usual habitat of these animals, in seawater. The second stage is connected with pioneering a new habitat and feeding on land. During sea lion adaptation to new conditions over a 20-year peri-od, the fear of humans noticeably decreased in animals, new behavioural traits such as cadging appeared. The group of sea lions wintering in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky during the 20-year period was characterized by sta-tistically significant fluctuations in numbers by year and season. The further coexistence of wintering animals depends on the dynamics of the influence of both natural and anthropogenic factors.