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In The Odyssey of KP2, Terrie Williams tells the story of a Hawaiian monk seal that charmed all before him after being rescued by conservationists

FOR budding zoologists, the at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has got to be a pretty cool place to work. Among its non-human inmates are some parrots, three charismatic cockatoos, a pair of spirited dolphins relieved from mine-hunting duty for the US navy and, until recently, an orphaned Hawaiian monk seal called KP2.

In The Odyssey of KP2, the lab’s principal investigator Terrie Williams has crafted a fabulous biography of this singular animal, examining the surprising influence he has had since his birth just four years ago.

Abandoned by his mother within hours and nearly crushed to death by a lumbering male that might have been his father, the young pup was facing near-certain death when conservationists stepped in. With the Hawaiian monk seal population at little more than 1000, every individual of this endangered species needs to be made to count.

But KP2’s formative months reared at the hands of humans gave him a rather unorthodox view of family. When he was set free at just over 6 months old, he sought out the company of humans rather than seals. Most of the residents of a small town on the Hawaiian island of Molokai were thrilled by his boogie-boarding skills and he became a media sensation. But not everyone was happy: local fishermen did not appreciate the competition, veterinarians had noticed that he was going blind and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration feared his interactions with dogs carried a disease risk for the wild seal population. In September 2009, Williams was asked whether she would consider giving him a temporary home at her lab.

By studying KP2’s energetic needs and behaviour, Williams was able to gather crucial data that could help save his species. By crafting a Facebook page for him, she transformed him into a voice for the ocean.

Yet in taking on a member of the most endangered marine mammal species in the US, she also had to stay on the right side of government officials, fend off intrusive journalists and tread carefully around cultural tensions between Hawaii and the US mainland. Williams uses this autobiographical backdrop to great effect, mixing KP2’s story with her own to create dazzling portraits of a celebrity seal and a successful scientist.