After two days on Vancouver Island earlier this week, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre team successfully saved a sea lion that was tangled in debris — but many more still in distress were left behind.
The team, joined by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, was able to tranquilize one adult male California sea lion and disentangle him from debris as he slept.
However, Vancouver Aquarium's lead veterinarian Dr. Haulena estimates there could be as many as 400 sea lions in similar situations in B.C.
One of them is Kiyo, a sea lion spotted in Fanny Bay on the Island with some kind of wire around its neck. A Facebook group was created to create awareness and ultimately get help for Kiyo, who was spotted on Feb. 21 and has not been rescued yet.
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The problem, says the Aquarium, is that rescuing sea lions take a large, highly specialized team — so the process of saving them is one that takes immense planning and time. Dr. Haulena is the only veterinarian in Canada who has experience tranquilizing sea lions
The best thing you can do if you spot an animal in need, according to Dr. Haulena, is to call a professional.
“Concerned citizens who are calling in about marine animals in distress are taking the right steps,” he said in a press release. “It’s important that people do not try to handle them. Improper removal of entangled gear may make the injury worse as vital structures, such as veins, arteries and nerves lie in close proximity to the entanglements.”
This latest sea lion rescue serves as a reminder of the greater issue at hand, states the press release:
If you want to help clean up the shoreline in your area, click here.
The team, joined by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, was able to tranquilize one adult male California sea lion and disentangle him from debris as he slept.
However, Vancouver Aquarium's lead veterinarian Dr. Haulena estimates there could be as many as 400 sea lions in similar situations in B.C.
One of them is Kiyo, a sea lion spotted in Fanny Bay on the Island with some kind of wire around its neck. A Facebook group was created to create awareness and ultimately get help for Kiyo, who was spotted on Feb. 21 and has not been rescued yet.
Story continues below slideshow:
The problem, says the Aquarium, is that rescuing sea lions take a large, highly specialized team — so the process of saving them is one that takes immense planning and time. Dr. Haulena is the only veterinarian in Canada who has experience tranquilizing sea lions
The best thing you can do if you spot an animal in need, according to Dr. Haulena, is to call a professional.
“Concerned citizens who are calling in about marine animals in distress are taking the right steps,” he said in a press release. “It’s important that people do not try to handle them. Improper removal of entangled gear may make the injury worse as vital structures, such as veins, arteries and nerves lie in close proximity to the entanglements.”
This latest sea lion rescue serves as a reminder of the greater issue at hand, states the press release:
The Aquarium also reminds the public to not dispose of debris into our rivers, lakes and oceans. Shoreline debris can often be confused by marine animals as food or they may become entangled.
If you want to help clean up the shoreline in your area, click here.
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