QUALICUM BEACH — An adult male sea lion found injured in waters in Oceanside has died of his injuries.
Staff from the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, with support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, located and rescued Colonel on Monday, April 6 near Qualicum Beach after locals had seen him in distress for several days.
The Society noted Colonel was weak and “severely underweight” and put him into intensive care in a bid to stabilize him before further treatment.
However, the Society announced Sunday, April 12, Colonel had died of his injuries, which included bird shot in his head and chest, as well as issues with one of his shoulders.
It’s believed the shoulder issues could be the result of an underlying disease.
“Cases like Colonel’s are never easy, but they are important. Each patient helps us learn more, improving how we care for and protect marine mammals in the future,” the Society said in a statement. “We are incredibly grateful to our supporters, whose ongoing commitment makes this work possible.”
It’s unclear what further investigation will take place to determine how bird shot became lodged in Colonel.
Colonel was named after Colonel Jeremy Hansen, who was a mission specialist on the recently returned Artemis II mission, which flew around the moon.
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