Vets Work to Unravel Mystery of Sick Sea Lions
The pens at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito are filled with new patients.
View GalleryVets Work to Unravel Mystery of Sick Sea Lions
Experts at Sausalito's Marine Mammal Center are racing against time to figure out what's causing sea lions to become so sick. The pens at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito are filled with new patients. The vets say 12 new sick sea lions were admitted into the center in just one day this week. Marine mammal vetrinarians hold down a sick sea lion as they get important medical information about it. The center usually averages about six new sick patients a day in a typical month. Many of the malnourished sea lions will likely starve to death, the marine vets say. Vets are working on this cute little sick sea lion. Tagging the animals is an important part of the process to care for and follow them as they reenter the wild, if they make it that far. Usually, this is the time of year when baby sea lions are learning to live on their own. Each patient's case is listed and followed closely at the center. Many of the sea lions are also suffering from other injuries. A few weeks ago, a young sick sea lion wandered onto the Richmond Parkway, most likely because he was starving. He was nicknamed "Moody" and taken to the Marine Mammal Center. Sadly, he died a few days later. Bay Area bird hospitals have also seen a rise in sick grebes, cormorants and other sea birds. Biologists aren't sure if there's a link between the sick sea lions and sick sea birds. During the peak of the season last year, the Marine Mammal Center was treating about 100 sick animals but as of this week, they had 130 sick animals at the facility. The vets give the sea lions a name tag and plenty of food and water as they help nurse them back to health and prepare for their return to the wild. It will take hard work, research and a lot of hope to get the animals back in shape to make it in the real world.
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