Somebody minimize off the pinnacle of a sea lion in Northern California and rode off with it in a bag and authorities at the moment are providing $20,000 for data that helps discover the perpetrator.
The physique of the mutilated animal was discovered at Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay on Christmas, the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries introduced this week.
A member of the park’s workers initially discovered the deceased animal and left it alone, per park coverage, Sonoma County Regional Parks spokesperson Sarah Campbell stated.
The physique was left “for nature to take its course,” Campbell stated, whereas the staffer went again to Doran’s fundamental workplace to retrieve gear to doc the ocean lion and ship that data to San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences.
However when the staffer returned later within the day, the carcass had been decapitated.
NOAA’s Workplace of Legislation Enforcement is providing a reward of as much as $20,000 for data resulting in a civil penalty or prison conviction within the decapitation of a California sea lion. It was discovered lifeless at Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay on Dec. 25.
(NOAA)
A witness account stated the person seemed to be a person between 30 and 40 years outdated sporting all black and driving a black fat-tire e-bike, based on NOAA.
The company’s workplace of regulation enforcement is investigating the demise.
NOAA is asking anybody with data to name its enforcement hotline at (800) 853-1964.
The suspect was seen utilizing a 8-inch black knife to take away the ocean lion’s head, putting it in a plastic bag and driving off, based on NOAA.
John Warner, CEO of the San Pedro-based Marine Mammal Care Heart, stated other than the “cruelty and weirdness” of the decapitation, the act of eradicating the pinnacle was not protected for the perpetrator and society on the whole.
“We stay in a world the place avian flu is a priority and different zoonotic illnesses can simply switch to people,” Warner stated. “You’re taking a knife and sure not sporting PPE and also you’re placing your well being and that of others in jeopardy.”
From a authorized standpoint, the Marine Mammal Safety Act prohibits the harassment, looking, capturing or killing of sea lions and different marine mammals. Harassment consists of harming an animal’s physique after demise with restricted exceptions, together with for instructional and scientific functions, NOAA officers stated.
Incidents of sea mammal cruelty are usually not uncommon in California.
Earlier this month on Ventura Seaside, a person was arrested after a sea lion affected by domoic acid poisoning was overwhelmed.
An unknown particular person additionally shot and killed a 2-year-old sea lion at Bolsa Chica State Seaside on Aug. 7.
Warner stated that extra animals have been delivered to the Marine Mammal Care Heart in 2024 for gunshot wounds than any in different yr he’s conscious of.
“Cruelty to animals is sadly alive and properly,” he stated.
He stated he was unaware of any bogus claims of medicinal worth for sea lion physique components, as is usually famous for rhino horns or donkey skins.
“Thank God there have been no hyperlinks to sea lions, in any other case I worry this wouldn’t be stunning or irregular, if that was the case,” Warner stated.
The general public is requested to report a lifeless, injured or stranded marine mammal to the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Community at (866) 767-6114.
