Video: Sea lions head to their new home

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TACOMA, Wash. – Three salmon-devouring sea lions captured at the Bonneville Dam and recently moved to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium are leaving tonight for their new home at Sea World San Antonio.

The sea lions arrived at the zoo last Thursday after being captured by state wildlife officials. Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife departments are catching sea lions that are eating endangered salmon at the dam in the Columbia River.

One 1,400-pound sea lion died Tuesday while undergoing medical inspection before transfer to a Sea World park

The Humane Society of the United State, which is mounting a federal appeals court challenge to federal authorization to kill or capture some of the animals, demanded a moratorium on the captures until a full investigation can be held.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Rick Hargrave said "it went under anesthesia and never came back."

He said the department's marine mammal specialist, Robin Brown, said such deaths are neither common nor unusual among marine mammals. He said plans are to continue trapping on Mondays and Thursdays.

Sharon Young, who directs the marine mammal program for the national society, said the sea lion, branded as B198, died after being anesthetized so blood samples and other biological work could be done to make sure it was healthy.

In the last several days, the sea lions at the Tacoma zoo have been trapped, craned onto trucks, driven more than 100 miles up I-5, and then subjected to medical tests to determine their overall health. Initial plans to destroy them were altered by the courts in favor or relocation.

"Everyone I've talked to who's involved in this activity, would prefer there were other ways to do this, other mitigation, that nobody had to kill them," said John Rupps, Aquatic Curator at the Pt. Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

KGW

Sea lions captured last week at the Bonneville Dam and moved to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash. are being moved today to their new home at Sea World San Antonio today.

The future of most of the sea lions is uncertain, but for the three leaving tonight, the next stop is the San Antonio Seaworld. The next go to SeaWorld Orlando. Twelve more will find homes in other aquatic facilities. 

The future for dozens more is much more uncertain. Some that are not considered repeat salmon offenders will be relocated to the Mouth of the Columbia River.

Oregon and Washington State officials are still working on what to do with the rest.