Sea Lion Pup Wanders San Francisco Streets

A California sea lion pup turned up on a San Francisco sidewalk before dawn on April 16, several blocks from where sea lions usually haul out. (marinemammalcenter.org) The Marine Mammal Center said its responder joined San Francisco police officers and Recreation and Parks rangers near 48th Avenue and Irving Street in the Outer Sunset. The young male was corralled into a carrier crate and moved first to a ranger station, then to the center’s hospital in Sausalito later that morning. (marinemammalcenter.org) Rescuers named the pup Irving after the street where he was found. Veterinarians said he is about 10 months old, weighed 40 pounds on arrival, and was “about half” the weight expected for a sea lion his age. (marinemammalcenter.org) That age helps explain why the case drew attention. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries says California sea lion females stay near breeding colonies with their pups until the pups are weaned, and The Marine Mammal Center said a pup this young is still too young to be on his own. (fisheries.noaa.gov, marinemammalcenter.org) The center said blood samples were taken to check for any underlying illness, but staff also described Irving as active and “quite feisty,” which they called positive behavioral signs. His listed diagnosis was severe malnutrition. (marinemammalcenter.org) Irving’s rescue also landed in the middle of a busy spring for marine mammal responders. The center’s current patient list from mid-April showed multiple California sea lion pups already in care, including another San Francisco pup admitted on April 11 with malnutrition. (marinemammalcenter.org) NOAA Fisheries said last month that decades of data link environmental conditions off California to higher numbers of malnourished sea lion pups washing up on shore. The agency said scientists use ocean conditions and prey availability to predict when pup strandings may rise. (fisheries.noaa.gov) San Francisco is used to seeing sea lions at the waterfront, especially at Pier 39, where the dock colony has been a local fixture since 1990. A pup resting beside homes in the Outer Sunset, though, was unusual enough to bring in police, park rangers, a private animal hospital crate, and a hospital transfer across the Golden Gate. (pier39.com, marinemammalcenter.org) For now, Irving is staying at The Marine Mammal Center while veterinarians work to restore his weight and determine whether malnutrition was the only problem. The center told the public to stay at least 50 yards away from distressed marine mammals and call its rescue hotline instead of approaching them. (marinemammalcenter.org, marinemammalcenter.org)