HONOLULU -- A Hawaiian Monk Seal that was recently recaptured will go to California for eye surgery.

The seal known as KP2 was abandoned at birth, raised in captivity, later released back into the wild, only to end up with cataracts so bad it had to be taken back out of the wild.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Division said the monk seal will be flown to the University of California at Santa Cruz sometime next week. KP2 will undergo cataract surgery.

The marine mammal will then return to Hawaii when a permanent facility can be built for him and other monk seals that cannot survive in the wild. KP2 is currently quarantined at Waikiki Aquarium.

KP2 had been living on Molokai when he was released.