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Baby sea lion dies after being fatally shot California law enforcement officials are offering $20,000 to anyone with information about the killer.
A two-year-old sea lion named Espy was found at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County with a bullet in its chest.
A rescue team from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC) attempted to save Espy, who was in critical condition, but the sea lion died from its injuries overnight.
Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are now stepping up their efforts to find out who is responsible for the cold-blooded murder.
“We have offered a reward in this case because the animal was found shot and killed on a very public beach, and we hope the reward will prompt anyone who saw or heard something to report it to us,” NOAA spokesman Michael Milstein said. Orange County Register.
A two-year-old sea lion named Espy died after being shot in the chest
A sea lion was spotted with injuries at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County
According to NOAA, the shooting of the sea lion was a violation of California's Marine Mammal Protection Act, which “prohibits the harassment, hunting, capture, or killing of sea lions and other marine mammals.”
Violators of this offense could be fined up to $34,457 and could face up to a year in prison. The government can also confiscate anything used to commit the crime.
PMMC Chief Veterinarian and Vice President of Conservation Medicine Alissa Deming described her team's experience with Espy. The rescue team named the sea lion.
She said the PMMC was flagged by someone who noticed the sea lion was behaving strangely. However, when they reached the beach, the injured mammal returned to the water because it was scared.
About two hours later, he returned to shore “probably because his condition was deteriorating,” Deming told The Orange County Register.
She said she was having trouble breathing. He was taken to the hospital, where it was confirmed that Espy had been shot.
But Espy's situation is not unique.
John Warner, director of the Los Angeles Marine Mammal Center in San Pedro, said he has seen a “continuous stream” of sea lions being shot.
Warner told The Orange County Register: “At least three patients were taken back by gunfire and then died in transit.
“It takes an emotional toll because we put so much time and attention into it.”
NOAA is offering a $20,000 reward for information on the sea lion killer
He said it was a sea lion in the center's care that had been shot in the jaw.
“He could barely open his mouth before we discovered there was a bullet in it,” Warner said.
Several endangered Steller sea lions were found dead in Alaska's Copper River Delta last year, evidence of human interference, NOAA said.
Last August, the organization offered a $20,000 reward for anyone with information that could result in a criminal conviction or civil penalty.
Espy entered the water after he was first spotted because he was scared, but swam ashore at Bolsa Chica about two hours later
Another $20,000 incentive was awarded in 2021 for the fatal shooting of another California sea lion.
A sea lion was found with a bullet in its head.
Milstein said any information that emerges about Espy's death “will be up to the U.S. attorney to determine whether the reward evidence is sufficient to bring charges,” he told The Orange County Register.
