A sea lion is recovering at a Vancouver facility after being rescued in Qualicum Beach.
Martin Haulena, head veterinarian and executive director of the Vancouver Aquarium and Marine Mammal Rescue Society, said his team was called to the beach on April 6 after spectators noticed the mammal in distress.
“We have been following an adult male California sea lion that was reported in very poor shape and certainly based on the photographs we received, was definitely not in normal body condition,” he said. “We have gone over to Qualicum a few times, but every time we had gone before, the sea lion had disappeared. So this time we are very happy that he was there.”
Haulena said the community was helpful, even after reporting the animal in distress, and some people helped control the crowd during the hour-long operation.
The team sedated the sea lion and checked it for cancer or other conditions that may have caused its lethargic, emaciated state.
“There are a number of very suspicious wounds on the underside of the animal, across the chest and the neck. I am not quite sure what those are yet, but we will probably find out in the next few days,” he said.
The mammal is in critical condition at the Vancouver facility, and further diagnostic work will help determine its health problems.
The Marine Mammal Rescue Society responds to reports of marine mammals in distress. Haulena said the public can call the hotline even if they are unsure whether an animal requires intervention.
“Often animals are doing very normal things, but they appear very strange to folks because they are just not expecting to see animals act in certain ways or be found in certain places,” he said. “So we will just walk through those things, and then if indeed the animal is compromised or in distress, we will, along with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, come up with a good plan on how to go about trying to help.”
