A severely malnourished and dehydrated sea lion pup has been discovered in Encinitas, California with a diver’s mask wrapped around its neck.
Experts from SeaWorld Sand Diego’s Rescue Team found the one-year old male pup, which they believe was on the verge of either starving, or being strangled by the mask.
Sadly, the mask appeared to have been around the pup’s neck for several weeks, and was preventing the pup from foraging or eating.
While most healthy pups of this age weight around 25-30kg, this sea lion weight just 14.5kg.
The experts were able to cut the mask off on the beach, but discovered an infected wound hidden underneath, which required treatment and antibiotics.
SeaWorld explained: “Other than the neck wound and malnourishment, the pup appears to be in generally good health.
“The park’s veterinarians and the animal care staff will continue to monitor the pup during his rehabilitation and hope to return him to the ocean in the next few months.”
While it remains unclear where the mask came from, the discovery highlights the impact of human rubbish in the oceans.
And sadly, this isn't an isolated case.
Previous studies have shown that about 700 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these interactions are with plastic.
Sadly, 17% of the species affected by plastic are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.
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