FYI — partial quote below
shirley Johnson
Thusone@xxxxxxx
The Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles, based in San Pedro, is reporting a
surge in shark bites among seals and sea lions.
It tallied six in July, when typically the center in an average year sees two
or three animals injured.
But this year is shaping up to be especially deadly for marine mammals, with a
total of 17 reported in the past seven months, on track to be the year with the
highest number of patients admitted for shark bites. The center will usually
see at most 11 in a year.
“Unfortunately, as you would expect, some of our patients do not survive their
injuries, but we are glad to be able to help some of them,” Lauren Palmer,
director of hospital operations, said in an e-mail.
Several of the injured animals sustained life-threatening wounds, including a
massive 300-pound male that was missing part of his shoulder. One adult female
patient is not expected to regain normal function in her rear limbs, but she is
getting stronger and will hopefully recover, Palmer said.
More than 10% of the center’s caseload has been shark bites, she said.
The Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles has been treating local wildlife
since 1992, taking in sick, injured and malnourished seals and sea lions that
are rescued from north of Zuma to Seal Beach.
Seals and sea lions are part of the meal plan for great white sharks starting
when they get to be about 8- to 10-feet long. Regulations, such as the Marine
Mammal Protection Act of 1972, have helped increase the number of marine
mammals off the coast for sharks to feed on.
https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/10/marine-mammal-care-center-reports-surge-in-shark-bite-injuries-and-deaths-among-seals-and-sea-lions/?utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Read+the+story.&utm_campaign=scng-regional-environment&utm_content=manual
<https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/10/marine-mammal-care-center-reports-surge-in-shark-bite-injuries-and-deaths-among-seals-and-sea-lions/?utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Read+the+story.&utm_campaign=scng-regional-environment&utm_content=manual>
