Sea lion found shot on Vancouver's Kitsilano Beach in poor condition, rescuers say
Young female was found in the water near Kitsilano Yacht Club
A young sea lion that was found shot in the head on Vancouver's Kitsilano Beach Friday remains in poor condition, according to rescuers.
The Vancouver Aquarium said they received a call about the young female sea lion on Friday.
The aquarium's marine mammal rescue team found the animal, believed to be two or three years old, in the sea near the Kitsilano Yacht Club.
Veterinarians believe it was shot in the head with a large calibre full-jacketed bullet and had been suffering for a "quite a few days" before it was found.
The Marine Mammal Rescue Centre responded to a call about a juvenile female sea lion in need of assistance on Kits Beach. This species of sea lion should be in a group with others, but she was alone. She will be brought to the Rescue Centre for examination and stabilization. <a href="https://t.co/Y1SL9ZBOTe">pic.twitter.com/Y1SL9ZBOTe</a>
—@vanaqua"She is under constant watch right now," said Dr. Martin Haulena, head veterinarian and director of animal health at the aquarium.
"She did survive overnight, which is a good sign. But she remains very, very weak, very poorly responsive. So I'm very concerned about her."
Haulena says the sea lion has lost one eye to the gunshot wound, with another severely damaged.
He says it is unlikely it would survive if it were released into the wild, given its lack of vision.
"The aquarium has been very gracious in offering homes for a lot of these animals that are blind," he said. "We have, unfortunately, several animals that are blind after being gunshot that live at the aquarium now and are happy."
"Our goal is always to try and release the animals … certainly, animals that survive are doing very well. But it's a very long-term process for these animals."
Cannot be shot without permit
Sea lions are "of special concern" in B.C., which means they are not yet endangered but are threatened by habitat loss and human activity.
Haulena says their populations are recovering following regulations, but they are still a concern for conservationists.
It is illegal under the federal Fisheries Act to shoot marine animals without a rarely-granted permit, with Haulena saying there could be "hefty" fines for anyone who does so illegally.
"There's certainly some folks that just seem to like to shoot at animals, unfortunately," he said. "I also probably think some folks perceive sea lions as a competition for fisheries' resources … that's where a conflict might arise."
Haulena says he is thankful to everyone involved in the rescue effort, including workers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada who supported the rescuers, and staff from the yacht club who allowed them to access the property after hours.
He advises the public to call the aquarium if they suspect a marine animal is in distress.
"[During the rescue], people are walking by. Without a doubt, everybody was completely concerned about the sea lion," he said. "That part is really great. People can be great."