The California Wildlife Center (CWC), a Malibu nonprofit, passed a milestone last month when it rescued its 40,000th animal, but this rescue was remarkable for another reason: this animal was also the first of 20 sea lions the center has taken in to rehabilitate on site, a first for the center in its 17-year history.
“Having the ability to provide rehabilitative care to sea lions right here at our facilities means the world to us, especially in light of an unusually high amount of pups in need of rescue this year,” said CWC Board President Victoria Harris in a statement released by the group. “The more patients that are admitted here or to facilities like ours, the more chances there are for successful releases.”
The 20 pups will be staying at the CWC for the next six to eight weeks as they are cared for and brought up to healthy weight. Once they regain their strength, which dwindled as they starved for nourishment in the ocean this winter, they will get to swim and play in brand new pools the facility has recently installed.
This rescue season has seen above-average numbers of malnourished sea lion pups wash up on beaches all along the Southern California coast.
The CWC is heavily dependent on donations and volunteers to keep its animal care and rehabilitation programs going.
“We couldn’t do any of this without our volunteers, who collectively contribute over 24,000 hours to the center each year. It’s not all fun and games,” Harris went on to say.
The center is currently equipped to care for over 150 different species, including many kinds of birds, as well as fawns and coyotes.