Not Every Rescued Sea Lion Survives

Just went to the Current Patients page on The Marine Mammal Center website. They have 69 animals in the hospital right now. I see that only one of the sea lions we rescued on Monday is listed. Carmel seems to have survived, but I don't see Soquel on the list. The mortality rate is not good, less than 50% of rescued animals survive, I think.

But every animal, every one of them, that we pick up on the beach would surely die if left there alone. And their death is ugly, usually having their eyes picked out by hordes of sea gulls while they are still alive, and then their brains are eaten. They die starving and dehydrated, and sometimes harassed by dogs and stupid, mean people while they cannot defend themselves.

Life is rough for the inhabitants of our oceans and beaches, and Nature is cruel and relentless.