Advertisement

Injured sea lion seen near Sacramento River on Wednesday is still missing

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

A sea lion with an eye injury has been eluding rescuers since it was sighted near the Sacramento River on Wednesday. Rescuers haven’t seen the animal since, says an article from the Sacramento Bee.

The sea lion was sighted on a dock near Old Sacramento’s Tower Bridge, but slipped into the river after volunteers gauged that the dock was too small to safely net the animal.

Advertisement

Based on photographs that observers took, Jim Oswald, a spokesman for the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, guessed that the injured sea lion is a male weighing between 350 and 500 pounds.

Oswald and other volunteers traveled to Sacramento on Wednesday hoping to help the marine animal, which appeared to be injured near its right eye. According to the article, the Marine Mammal Center’s volunteers have helped many sea lions during 1,500 marine animal rescues this year.

Despite the sea lion’s disappearance, Oswald remains optimistic about the animal’s wounds.

‘Salt water could be really good for the sea lion to heal its wound,’ he told the Bee. ‘Sea lions out in the ocean get bit by sharks constantly, but they heal. While the wound looks horrible in photographs, it may not be so bad.’

Volunteers from the Marine Mammal Center will return if the animal becomes stranded on the shore again.

RELATED:
Your morning adorable: Sea lions are artists at Oregon Coast Aquarium
Your morning adorable: Rescued seal pup relaxes by the pool
Sea lion takes the wheel of Orange County sheriff’s deputies’ boat; hilarity ensues

Advertisement

-- Kelsey Ramos

Advertisement