The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMR) working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) have successfully freed a female Steller sea lion from a severe neck entanglement near Cowichan Bay. (Courtesy of Vancouver Aquarium)
A Steller sea lion is breathing a little easier now following the successfull removal of a severe neck entanglement, authorities say.
The female sea lion, later named Stl'eluqum by members of the Cowichan Tribes, was first spotted in Cowichan Bay on Nov. 7. The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMR) was notified shortly thereafter.
VAMMR and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) engaged in a "complex, weeks-long rescue effort," that was "supported by the Cowichan Tribes, coastal observers, and a highly engaged online community," according to the Vancouver Aquarium.
But weather challenges, limited daylight and the animal's infrequent movement patterns hampered many attempts to help.
Meanwhile, a thick polypropylene rope wrapped around her neck was causing rapidly worsening injuries, making the rescue increasingly urgent.
On Dec. 9, VAMMR and the DFO spent all day searching for the animal but it was a fortuitous spotting by a Cowichan Tribes member late in the day that enabled rescuers to help it.
"The team safely sedated the sea lion and, once they began removing the rope, discovered it had been wrapped around her neck four times. After the debris was removed, the sedative was reversed and the animal swam away," said a Vancouver Aquarium press release.
The organization said "over the past two decades, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society has played a leading role in developing a specialized technique to safely disentangle sea lions. The method uses a dart-delivered immobilization drug combination that allows trained responders to safely approach the animal and remove the debris."
VAMMR's executive director and head veternarian Dr. Martin Haulena is the only veterinarian in Canada -- and one of only a few worldwide -- qualified to perform the procedure.
"These are large, wild animals, and the risks involved in disentanglement trips can be significant for both the responders and the sea lion," Haulena said. "Most of these cases are caused by marine debris and, if nothing is done, the outcome is usually fatal. In this case the rope was cutting deeper by the day and removing it was critical to this animal's survival."
Haulena reminds the public that this time of the year in particular, can lead to increased waste and more marine debris.
"Entanglement in ropes, plastics, and other discarded materials continues to be a major threat to marine mammals along the B.C. coast, and preventing debris from entering the ocean is essential to reducing these incidents."
Members of the public who see a marine mammal in distress can report it to Fisheries and Oceans Canada at 1-800-465-4336 or to the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society at 604-258-SEAL (7325).
Donations directly support rescue operations and the veterinary care needed to rehabilitate marine mammals in distress. To support this work, visit vammr.org