San Francisco – A sea lion was found on the streets of San Francisco Thursday morning and was quickly taken to an area marine mammal shelter.
Police and local animal rescue teams were urgently called to the scene and managed to coax the animal out from under the vehicle, with all the action caught on film by passer-bys.
However, this isn’t Rubbish’s first brush with animal protection officers. Earlier this year, local media reports indicate that the same pup was found washed up on the shore severely malnourished and suffering from pneumonia.
After feeding him up – helping Rubbish gain 17 pounds – he was re-released to the wild.
But now he’s back and once again seriously underweight, volunteers have decided to keep him under observation and are planning to test for any underlying health problems.
Rubbish’s situation is part of a worrying larger picture which has seen hundreds of abandoned sea lion pups wash up along the Californian shores this year.
Environmentalists and scientists believe that the stranded seal pops are the resulted of warming waters on the west coast diminishing the sea lions natural food source.
Agencies/Canadajournal