321-Pound Sea Lion Returned to the Ocean
Posted on: Wednesday, 3 March 2004, 06:00 CST
A sea lion found more than 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the San Joaquin Valley last month was released back into the ocean Wednesday.
California Highway Patrol officers rescued the 321-pound male sea lion, nicknamed "CHiPpy" from a road in Merced County near Los Banos on Feb. 9.
On Wednesday, workers for the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito released CHiPpy to the ocean at Drake's Beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore.
After his rescue, the animal was transported to the Marine Mammal Center where he has been held until officials determined he was healthy enough to be returned to the ocean.
CHiPpy was hospitalized for a while because he was suffering from a gunshot wound. No clues yet have emerged as to how that happened.
The case has been turned over for investigation to the law enforcement arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency announced in February it would pay a $1,000 reward for information leading to a prosecution and conviction in the case.
Harming a sea lion is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Penalties range from a civil penalty of up to $12,000 or a criminal fine of as much as $20,000, plus jail time.
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On The Net:
Marine Mammal Center: www.marinemammalcenter.org
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