San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
SEA LION RETURNS TO WAVES
Seaworld team rescued a lethargic juvenile, Rocky, who had contracted bacteria, had dozens of rocks in belly
When the folks at Seaworld’s animal rescue team saw a lethargic juvenile sea lion at La Jolla Cove, they knew something was wrong.
The problem turned out to be two things, both of them rather unexpected.
First, the male sea lion rescued Jan. 12 tested positive for a rare and contagious bacteria that is harmful — and potentially deadly — to both animals and humans. It was the first time the bacteria have been found in local waters in eight years, Seaworld San Diego veterinarian Dr. Kelsey Herrick said Friday.
Then there was the surprising matter of the rocks in the animal’s stomach. Sea lions eat them from time to time. But this year-and-ahalf-old pinniped had gulped down about 100.
“That was very striking,” Herrick said. “We were like, ‘Wow, that is a lot of rocks.’ ”
And that find earned the sea lion an affectionate nickname: Rocky.
Herrick said there is no evidence of a local outbreak of leptospirosis, a potentially lethal bacterial disease. It’s also what she called a “zoonotic” pathogen, in that it can transfer from animals to humans and back.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bacteria that cause leptospirosis spread through the urine of infected animals, and can survive for weeks or months in water or soil.
After Seaworld San Diego found Rocky, the organization rescued a second sea lion — this one at Torrey Pines — that tested positive, the veterinarian said. But it had other medical issues and was euthanized.
Herrick said the medical team suspected Rocky had leptospirosis early on — the sea lion was drinking water excessively, and the disease affects the kidneys — so the team started antibiotic treatment and kept the animal in quarantine. The team also had to give Rocky fluids at three to four times the usual dose.
The sea lion started eating but still “looked like he didn’t feel good,” the veterinarian said. The medical team X-rayed the animal and found the rocks, dozens of them.
Herrick leans toward the pos
“We removed over a pound and a half of rocks from that California sea lion — which is crazy.”
Jeni Smith • Seaworld Rescue Team member
sibility that after Rocky caught the bacteria, the animal slurped up the rocks while drinking sea water excessively — a behavior that itself is odd. Sea lions don’t drink water. They get their water from eating fish.
The medical team tried to get Rocky to vomit some of the stones out, Herrick said, but “his stomach was too heavy.” So the team performed five procedures over five weeks, during which the doctors removed several rocks from Rocky’s stomach each time.
“He also removed some rocks on his own — in two different ways,” Rescue Team member Jeni Smith said — with a laugh — in a video interview provided by Seaworld. “We removed over a pound and a half of rocks from that California sea lion — which is crazy.”
Getting rid of the rocks cleared room in Rocky’s belly for food. When the team rescued the sea lion in January, he weighed nearly 63 pounds. By the time he was released back into the ocean March 3, he was pushing 95 pounds.
Rocky had company on his return home. Seaworld San Diego also released an elephant seal found in Imperial Beach in January. The seal, a female, was dehydrated and suffering from more than 10 cookie-cutter shark bites. “Poor thing had bites everywhere, Smith said.
“Her wounds have healed,” Smith said. “She looks amazing and she gets a second chance.”
It was the only elephant seal among the 17 wild animals Seaworld San Diego rescued and brought to its facility this year, as of Friday. Rocky was one of 10 rescued sea lions. The other rescues this year include one harbor seal, two sea turtles and three Guadalupe fur seals.
The goal is to heal them and return them to the ocean.
Seaworld Rescue Team members are on call 24 hours a day. To get help for a marine mammal in need, call the team’s hotline at 800541-7325, or email Swc.rescue@seaworld.com.