By Cooper Langford

This past June, a group from the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre encountered a Steller sea lion — a nursing mother — on a haul-out in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. A plastic packing strap was wrapped around the sea lion’s neck and had cut deeply into its skin. But the group was prepared for what would soon become Canada’s first successful disentanglement of a Steller sea lion.
RISK STATUS |
THE ISSUE |
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Steller sea lion populations are stable along the Pacific Coast of North America. But that hasn’t always been the case. Their numbers were in decline up until the 1970s, when the federal government made it illegal to hunt them. Further conservation measures followed, and the Canadian population of Steller sea lions — the largest member of the sea lion family — gradually recovered (although the global population has experienced declines). |
Habitat degradation is a major issue in Steller lion conservation, although the species enjoys habitat protections under the Oceans Act and the inclusion of some breeding rookeries in ecological |
Led by veterinarian Martin Haulena, the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre has developed protocols for successful disentanglement of sea lions. The steps include tranquillizing the animals so the entangling debris can be removed, cleaning and disinfecting wounds, administering antibiotics and taking blood samples for further study. |
Reprinted from Canadian Wildlife magazine. Get more information or subscribe now! Now on newsstands! Or, get your digital edition today!
Related Links
- ENDANGERED SPECIES :: Steller Sea Lion
- ARTICLE :: Saving the Steller Sea Lion