The Animal Blog

A sea lion paints a Chinese character reading “the Serpent” at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo, to mark the forthcoming year of the snake. Picture: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images

The crisis facing California sea lions

State officials have declared an “unusual mortality event” for California sea lions, after an unusually high number of pups barely clinging to life have recently washed ashore.

For a sense of the sheer number of pups who have reportedly been found washed up:

In Los Angeles County, nearly 400 pups have been stranded since the beginning of the year. Last year, 36 were reported during that stretch.

As of March 24, officials said, 214 sea lions were reported stranded in San Diego County, 189 in Orange County, 108 in Santa Barbara County and 42 in Ventura County.

Read more from reporter Rick Rojas here.

Photos: Allen J. Schaben, Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Rescued California sea lion pups rest at the Pacific Marine Mammal Centre in Laguna Beach, California. The centre has been overwhelmed by the number of severely malnourished and dehydrated pups coming to shore along the Orange County coastline. Picture: REUTERS/Mike Blake

sea lion

A California sea lion and a walrus ‘kiss’ each other during a show at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium-amusement park complex in Yokohama, Japan. Picture: Itsuo Inouye/AP

telegraph.co.uk

Sea Lions having a disagreement at Central Park Zoo.

Yokohama, Japan: A sea lion reaches for a fish at mealtime at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium

Photograph: Itsuo Inouye/AP

Guardian

sea lion

A Galapagos Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus wollebacki) is framed by a shoal of Black Striped Salema (Xenocys jessiae) off the Galapagos Islands. David Fleetham’s images show the startling variety of life that can be found in the world’s oceans.

Picture: David Fleetham/Bluegreen / Rex Features

telegraph.co.uk