Leave those dead/dying sea lions alone, say experts from Oregon State University in an Associated Press report from today's
Seattle Times. More of these animals are washing up on Oregon beaches than usual, thanks to an increased sea lion population, gun shot wounds from angry fishermen and a bacteria called Leptospirosis that is potentially harmful to humans. The disease has shown up in roughly 1/3 of the dead animals.
Fishermen are blamed for a significant amount of sea lion deaths because sea lions steal hooked salmon. Last November I almost tripped over a dying sea lion that had been shot in the back while I was walking along the Sixes River at Cape Blanco. See below:
For more info, check out the
Marine Mammal Stranding Network.
1 comment:
If they might have lepto, best to keep your dogs far away from them as well. Lepto can be even more dangerous to them, since the leptospires like to spread through mucous membranes. If Rover has been sniffing these critters, keep your eye out for vomiting, lethargy and muscle pain and take him to the vet if any show up.
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