Guest guest Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Marine Mammal Rescue Visit our Website SEA LION MOM CONDUCTS RESCUE Dear Melanie, On the morning of June 5 Marine Animal Rescue received a call from a Harbor Patrol officer about a sea lion who had given birth on the Harbor Patrol dock in Redondo Beach. Normally, sea lions give birth on beaches which allows the pup to make an easy entry into the water to swim with its mother. When the pup tires, it can then easily return to shore to rest as mom nudges it from behind back to safety. Pup resting safely with mother © P.Wallerstein However, when born on docks, new born sea lion pups are too weak and inexperienced to hurl their small bodies back onto the dock once they tire from their first swim in the water. Because there are not any shallow, sloping jetties or safe places for the pup to haul out in the Redondo harbor, MAR decided to go check on the newborn in fear that it may struggle once it went into the water. As we were in route, we got another call from the officer that the pup had fallen off the dock and was flailing in the water and struggling to stay afloat. However just as we arrived, the sea lion mother was already acting to remove her pup from harm's way. She began pushing the pup up to the surface of the water to allow him to lift his head up to get a few breaths. She then pushed him toward the dock and attempted to demonstrate to her pup how to get onto the dock. But the tired pup was unable to clear the 2 foot gap between the surface of the water and the dock. Without hesitation, the mother quickly jumped back into the water and pinned the pup against the wall of the dock. Then she quickly jumped back onto the dock and grabbed the pup by the back of his neck with her teeth and slung him safely out of the water. This is considered a rare behavior for a pinniped but it is not by any stretch of the imagination surprising. These animals are intelligent and as this mother's actions showed us today, capable of planning and conducting their own rescues when their pups are in trouble. Mom is keeping a close watch on her 14 lb pup and so is MAR. Peter Wallerstein Marine Rescue Specialist Friends of Animals view comments | add yours NEWS & PROJECTS RESCUE STORIES CONTACT VOLUNTEER SUPPORT For 20 years, Marine Animal Rescue volunteers have come to the aid of entangled or beached whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions and sea birds along the California coast. Marine Animal Rescue volunteers have rescued thousands of marine animals. Marine Animal Rescue P.O. Box 821 El Segundo, CA 90245 Friends of Animals 777 Post Road Darien CT 06820 203-656-1522 This message was sent from Friends of Animals to melgraj2. It was sent from: Friends of Animals, 777 Post Road Ste 205, Darien, CT 06820. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below. Manage your subscription View this message in the iContact Community: View message Comment on this message Receive as RSS Share this message with others: del.icio.us Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon Stay informed, get connected and more with AOL on your phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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