Wayward Sea Lion Euthanized At Marine Mammal Center
A disoriented sea lion found wandering the streets of unincorporated Contra Costa County near Oakley on Saturday was euthanized Tuesday morning after the animal was found to have brain damage from toxic algae exposure, a Marine Mammal Center spokesman said.
Na'au, a female adult California sea lion, was euthanized after center officials determined she suffered from chronic domoic acid poisoning, which causes sea lions to become disoriented and even to have seizures that can result in death, center spokesman Jim Oswald said.
Na'au, which Oswald said is believed to be Hawaiian for "an enlightened mind," was found on Saturday near Knightsen Elementary School, located on Delta Road, about 1.5 miles away from the nearest body of water.
Contra Costa County animal control officers responded and were able to guide the animal into a fenced area of the school where responders from the Sausalito-based Marine Mammal Center were able to retrieve her, Oswald said.
After thorough medical testing, it was determined that the animal could not safely go back into the wild due to the damage to her brain caused by toxic algal blooms in the water, he said.
It was the third time Na'au had to be retrieved by the center. She had previously gotten disoriented and needed to be rescued twice in Santa Cruz County, according to Oswald.
After Na'au was euthanized, a Stanford researcher assisted in a necropsy, Oswald said. The information found in the animal's tissue could lead to a better understanding of problems not just in the brains of sea lions, but in humans too, he said.
The researcher is studying epilepsy in the temporal lobe, and since Na'au suffered from epileptic seizures, possibly caused by the domoic acid poisoning, her brain tissue could "help us get a better understanding (of the disorder) in sea lions and possibly humans as well," he said.
While the death of Na'au was "very sad," Oswald said, three other sea lions from the Marine Mammal Center are being released later this week in time to be "home for the holidays."
The animals, which were rescued and have been recuperating at the center, will be released on Thursday at nearby Rodeo Beach, located in the Marin Headlands.
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Víctor Lei
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