Scientists have warned deadly H5 bird flu could cause “carnage” for Australia’s seal and sea lion populations after detection of the virus in long-nosed fur seals in South Australia. SA confirmed Australia’s first case in a mainland mammal on Saturday after a dead long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport on the Limestone Coast tested positive for H5N1. The […]
Tag: sea lions
Penguins and dolphins among nearly 400 Australian species under threat from bird flu as ‘true extent of disaster’ revealed
Almost 400 native Australian bird and mammal species have been assessed as being at a high risk – or worse – from the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, a federal government assessment has revealed. Some of Australia’s most beloved animals – including species of penguins, fur seals, quolls, dolphins, more than 300 birds and the […]
Fears for elephant seals as bird flu kills half of population in South Atlantic
Bird flu has wiped out half of South Georgia’s breeding elephant seals, according to a study that warns of “serious implications” for the future of the species. The remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean is home to the world’s largest southern elephant seal population. Researchers estimate 53,000 females died after bird flu hit in […]
Mexico Ends Captive Dolphin Shows in Landmark Animal Welfare Move
Mexico just made a massive splash for animals everywhere. The country has officially banned the use of marine mammals like dolphins, sea lions, and orcas in entertainment, marking a historic win for compassion and Conservation. According to Humane World for Animals Mexico, the new law—approved unanimously by the Mexican Chamber of Deputies—puts an end to […]
Denver Zoo Sea Lion Nick Passes Away During Wait For New Habitat
According to CBS Colorado, Nick—an 18-year-old California sea lion from the Denver Zoo—tragically died on August 7, 2025, at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., where he had been staying since 2023 while Denver completed a new sea lion habitat. Nick was rescued as a newborn on Seal Rock in […]
Beating of sea lion caught on camera, CA officials say. Now, man pleads guilty
A sick sea lion resting on a California beach was kicked in the head and beaten with a large piece of driftwood, prosecutors say. Now, 32-year-old Christopher Hurtado, of Santa Paula, has pleaded guilty “to two felony counts related to the beating of a sea lion suffering on a Ventura beach from recent algae blooms,” […]
20 Sea Lions Freed from Deadly Nets in the Gulf of California
In a powerful show of force against illegal fishing gear, Sea Shepherd and our partners have rescued 20 California sea lions from deadly entanglement in the Upper Gulf of California—an area plagued by abandoned fishing nets and black-market totoaba poaching. Three of the animals were freed at Isla Consag during an intensive five-day rescue operation […]
Inside the fight to save California’s dying sea lions from toxic algae: ‘We’re like 911 operators’
It was just after 8am on Tuesday, a thick morning fog still clinging to the California coastline, and SeaWorld’s animal rescue team had already made their first save of the day: a hefty, sick-looking sea lion that had been waddling dangerously close to a four-lane highway in downtown San Diego. Now, in a private area […]