Volunteer: Sea Lion's Wound Survivable

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - KCRA.com

Research volunteers were in Old Sacramento Wednesday night, hoping to evaluate a sea lion that a witness claims has been shot in the face.

The mammal, which had blood on the right side of its face, was on a dock underneath Joe's Crab Shack on the eastern side of the Sacramento River.

The witness, who identified himself as a professor, said the sea lion is so badly injured that it can only breathe by holding its head up. The wound was just beneath the sea lion's eyes.

After viewing KCRA 3 video of the injured mammal, Marjorie Boor of the

Marine Mammal Center

in Sausalito said she thinks he can survive.

"We have old, big animals like this -- big bulls -- come into the center for other problems not infrequently that incidentally find bullet wounds or bullets lodged in their head or lodged in some part of their body that they've survived with and lived with," she said.

The sea lion is one of several that frequently swim near Old Sacramento, according to the witness.

The witness asked that people not disturb the animal, which jumped off the dock and swam away sometime after noon.

If the sea lion returns and can be safely captured, Moor said the center would try to treat it.

"If we deem it is a safe location for us to rescue, we would certainly attempt to," she said.

Most Popular Stories at KCRA

• Police: 1 Shot To Death In Sacramento
• Boy Dies In Rollover SUV Crash
• Dispute Over TV Leads To Death Threat
• Teen Accused Of Hacking HS Computer
• Wayward Elephant Seal Found On Delta Road

MORE FROM THEKCRACHANNEL.COM

theKCRAchannel.com Section Front

Girl To Be Tried As Adult In Mom's Slaying   Woman Missing After Galt House Fire   Dickinson Wants Review Of Airport Boss's Travel   Bikes May Be Allowed On K Street   Human Leg Turns Up In Sutter Co. theKCRAchannel.com Section Front   Add theKCRAchannel.com headlines to your news reader: