SeaWorld workers rescued an injured sea lion at La Jolla Cove Sunday after it was found with a 10-foot fishing gaff hooked into its back.
“The pole itself was 10 feet long,” said Dave Koontz, communications manager for SeaWorld San Diego. “The hook was like the size of a small horseshoe, and that hook was embedded about three inches into his back.”
The rescue team netted the sea lion and pinned it down to keep it still so they could remove the gaff.
“We were able to use a hoop net to hold the animal still while the vet gave the sea lion a sedative to just calm him down,” Koontz said.
The 200-pound sea lion is now being cared for at SeaWorld.
Koontz said this is the third sea lion they have seen in the past year with a similar gaff injury. However, this is the first one that has had the gaff still attached.
“We are just going to continue to monitor him over the next few days,” Koontz said. “And if he makes progress, we’re hoping we can return him back to the ocean here in the next week or so.”
