Law enforcement and wildlife authorities were called out after drivers reported the 500-pound creature on the side of a road, far from water.
They were able to get the sea lion back to his home in the Columbia River.
Deputies believe he was living in the Columbia River and then traveled up the Cowlitz River and through Delameter Creek to end up on Garlock Road just outside of Castle Rock.
It took a number of people working together to direct the sea lion into a trailer. You can see them holding up boards so he doesn’t get away.
Fox 12’s Breanna Kelly spoke to the director of animal care at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Jim Burke. He said while unusual, seeing animals out of their habitats does happen. “Sea lions do things
for various reasons and some of which is food,” Burke explained. “Maybe this animal is looking for food.”
Burke said another reason the sea lion is far from home is because he may be poisoned by domoic acid, produced by a type of algae small fish accumulate, which sea lions then eat. He said, “The one thing that has been seen in animals that have been seen way out of place and have then been euthanized because they haven’t gone back into the water or they were harming themselves or potentially harming people, that’s where we have seen some cases of active domoic poisoning.”
Burke said domoic acid can cause disorientation and impact foraging.
While the animal was returned to his habitat, it’s tough to know, Burke said, whether he will return to normalcy as a sea lion.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.