Liberty, a painfully thin California
sea lion, was rescued from Newport Beach on May 26 weighing only
19 pounds. Birth weight for a California sea lion is about 15
to 20 pounds and Liberty was dangerously emaciated at almost
a year old.
The first weeks were critical. She was quarantined upstairs
in a temperature controlled room to maintain her temperature
and make sure that she, with her incredibly weakened immune system,
was not subjected to any additional stressors. She was suffering
from pneumonia and animal care staff administered breathing treatments
four times a day.
After two weeks, she was moved down to the nursery and began
standing up on her flippers and “walking” around
which was an accomplishment on her part! Liberty was truly a
fighter and started to eat fish on her own the following day. She is up to 48 pounds but has quite a few more pounds to put
on before she is able to be released. She is truly one of our “miracle” patients
this year. |
