Sea lion suffering from gunshot wound rescued on Kits Beach

A sea lion found struggling on Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver on Friday is suffering from a gunshot wound, according to the Vancouver Aquarium's Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.

The centre sent a rescue team to pick up the injured animal after receiving a call from a member of the public who was concerned about its well-being.

Dr. Martin Haulena, head veterinarian and director of animal health at Vancouver Aquarium, said the people who found the sea lion did everything right.

"They did an awesome job, called it in, stayed away, kept other people away, kept dogs away and gave us a chance to get there and proceed with the rescue," Haulena said.

He said the sea lion is female, about three years old, and was "very weak" and emaciated when crews picked her up.

Once the animal was at the rescue centre, initial X-rays showed that she had been shot, Haulena said.

"A wound like that doesn't instantly kill an animal," he said. "It maims an animal like this, and she's probably been suffering for some days or weeks already."

The veterinarian said it's too soon to tell if the animal will survive. He said crews are currently working to stabilize the sea lion with fluids, antibiotics and pain control. If she responds well to that treatment, more in-depth tests can be done, but Haulena said he thinks the animal's vision may be lost permanently as a result of the injury.

"Right now it's really not just day-to-day, it's hour-to-hour," he said. "She's in really critical shape right now."

Asked why someone would shoot a sea lion, Haulena said it's unfortunate, but not uncommon.

"It's really hard to tell (why the animal was shot)," he said. "Obviously, we don't know who shot this sea lion. Some people just like shooting animals for no reason. I suppose some folks probably think sea lions are competition for fish or resources."

Vancouver Aquarium's Marine Mammal Rescue Centre advises anyone who encounters a marine mammal in distress to contact it at 604-258-7325 or to call Fisheries and Oceans Canada at 800-465-4336.