A sea lion known for lounging near Petaluma’s Turning Basin was euthanized days after being rescued from a mall parking lot, following seizures linked to suspected toxic algae exposure.
Lea el artículo en español aquí.
The sea lion that had been spotted swimming and sunbathing around Petaluma’s Turning Basin — and was later rescued from a local outlet mall — was euthanized late last week after showing signs of poisoning linked to toxic algae, according to the Marine Mammal Center.
The animal, referred to as “Mallory” and “Stevie,” was put down Thursday after the center’s veterinary team saw her twitching and experiencing a seizure, symptoms of serious illness, center spokesperson Giancarlo Rulli said Monday.
Before her rescue, a passerby reported seeing the sea lion behaving similarly in the river.
Mallory was taken to the center’s Sausalito hospital July 5 and initially appeared to be in good physical condition, but her health quickly declined.
“The decision to humanely euthanize a rescued animal is one of the toughest decisions we face here at The Marine Mammal Center, ” Rulli said. “Our goal is to always do our very best to give marine mammals a second chance at life, but an animal’s long-term welfare is our number one priority after providing the best possible treatment.”
The sea lion was rescued that morning by the North Bay Animal Services after she was found in the south parking lot of Petaluma Village Premium Outlets. Officials believe she made her way there by swimming up the Petaluma River during high tide. Mall security reported the animal around 7:30 a.m., and she arrived at the hospital a few hours later.
On Monday, the center began a postmortem exam to help determine what made the sea lion sick. Specialists will study her brain and run lab tests to confirm whether she was exposed to domoic acid, a natural toxin produced by algae that can poison marine life. Results could take several weeks.
“Even in death, the center can learn invaluable data on an animal’s life,” Rulli said, “that impacts future care for the species and offers an important glimpse into the health of our oceans.”
You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals.