A sick sea lion is being treated at a veterinary clinic following its rescue from a neighborhood in San Rafael.
Residents spotted the animal on Saturday morning along Point San Pedro Road near the Loch Lomond Yacht Club.
“It was initially reported that the sea lion was near a vehicle and was trying to get under it or near it,” said San Rafael police Sgt. Justin Graham. “The officers and firefighters, not normally having to deal with this type of situation, used materials that were on hand.”
The rescuers used police shields, cardboard and a basket to guide the animal to a park nearby, where it took an interest in water sprinklers. The effort to capture it took more than two hours. Graham said the sea lion was “not very cooperative.”
The Marine Mammal Center, the clinic in the Marin Headlands, took the animal in for examination.
The young male California sea lion seemed underweight at around 60 to 70 pounds, and its flippers were tucked tightly into his abdomen, said Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson for the Marine Mammal Center. The clinic suspects the animal has leptospirosis, a bacterial disease caused by contaminated water or soil.
“We see it regularly here,” Rulli said. “We used to see it every three to five years, and as the ocean has changed and not for the better, we are seeing this pop up more annually and year-round. It’s something we should be paying attention to and recognizing that it’s likely here to stay.”
The disease can cause irreversible kidney damage. Even with treatment, about two-thirds of the animals that have acute leptospirosis don’t survive, according to the center.
The treatment plan includes antibiotics plus supportive fluids to offset dehydration.
“The good news is the animal is eating well and foraging well on its own with other sea lion counterparts of similar age in the hospital,” Rulli said. “The fact that this animal is foraging well with counterparts and is showing signs of energy is a hopeful, positive sign.”
It’s unclear why the animal was in the area to begin with, but Rulli said the foraging learning curve for juvenile sea lions is a hard one. As opportunistic foragers, sea lions can easily take a “wrong turn” in their search for food, he said.
He noted that the Bay Area is an urban habitat with many roads along shorelines.
“It’s not necessarily uncommon to see wildlife pop up in locations, on roadways, very close to the water,” he said. “What we do know is this animal was likely not feeling well.”
Rulli said people should never touch wild animals. Globally, there are about 1 million leptospirosis cases in humans each year and around 60,000 deaths, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.
Rulli said people and dogs should stay at least 150 feet away from wild animals on beaches. He said leptospirosis can kill dogs, but there is a vaccine for it.
“If the animal is paying attention to you in any way, you’re too close,” Rulli said. “If you think there’s a problem, call our hotline.” It is 415-289-7325.