世上只有妈妈好 海豹幼崽的人生第一课

The world can be a scary place for a seal pup less than 72 hours old. But even in the bitter, windswept bleakness of a Scottish beach, a helping hand is never far away. Sealed with a kiss, a young grey seal is seen nurturing her newborn baby through the first few days of its life.

对于出生不到三天的海豹幼崽来说，这个世界是个恐怖的地方。然而尽管身陷艰苦，在苏格兰海滩上帮助之手也从未远离。一只年轻的海豹正宠爱地呵护着它刚出生不久的幼崽。

Indeed the pup is so young that its fur still has a yellow tinge from the fluid of its mother’s womb. The scene was captured by wildlife photographer Anna Henly discovered when she came across a 50-strong colony that had come ashore to bear their young.

刚出生不久，小海报的皮毛还是浅浅的黄色。这一幕被野生动物摄影家安娜捕捉到了，当时她正好碰到海豹产下幼崽。

Those first moments are crucial for mother and offspring – from the moment it is born, she licks the pup, calls to it, pets it and protects it. Around 40 per cent of the world’s grey seals breed around Britain, with numbers increasing by about 7 per cent a year. A grey seal will spend most of its life – which can be up to 40 years long – at sea. Yet they are often seen close to shore. Unlike whales or dolphins, they give birth on land.

刚出生的时候对于母亲和养育来说都是非常重要的，从它出生的那一刻起，母亲会舔舐幼崽，呼唤它、爱抚它并且保护它。世界上大约40%的灰海豹在英国繁殖，每年数量大概增加7%。一只灰海豹会花大量的时间（寿命约40年）在海里，但是它们也会时常近岸。与鲸鱼和海豚不同的时，它们在陆上产子。

Although some breeding grounds may appear inhospitable, that waterproof coat and a thick layer of blubber protects the seals from cold and wet. And the more inaccessible the sites are, the less likely they are to be disturbed by humans. For the meantime, this pup can count on the protection and support of its mother before it goes splashing around independently in the water. But the bond will soon be broken. In a few weeks, when it loses its cuddly white coat, the pup will be abandoned by its mother and sent off to fend for itself.

尽管一些繁育地环境不是很好，防水层和脂肪都会保护它们不受寒冷和潮湿的侵袭。并且，海滩越不容易靠近，它们越不容易受人类打扰。同时，在幼崽能独立入水之前还有母亲的保护和支持。但是几周后，幼崽们就要自食其力了。当它们褪去幼崽的保护层，就要报母亲“遗弃”独自面临大海了。