Baby sea lion abducted from Los Angeles beach

A sea lion pup was taken from its mother by four suspects at Dockweiler State Beach early on Sunday morning. A witness at the scene told authorities that at around 3am, two women and two men were at the beach harassing a mother sea lion and her two pups. The group, who are all said to be between the ages of 20 and 25, were throwing cinder blocks and trash at the animals.



None of the animals was hit, but a female suspect went to a car nearby, grabbed a blanket and handed it to a male suspect. The man grabbed one of the sea lion pups, wrapped it up in the blanket and placed it in the trunk of the car. The four then entered the vehicle and left with the baby sea lion.

The car is described as a black two-door Honda Civic with the last two digits of the California licence plate containing the numbers 5 and 6. The witness called police, who arrived at the scene by 3:15am. Police called Peter Wallerstein, president of Marine Animal Rescue. Wallerstein headed to the scene and was able to find the second baby sea lion hiding in the bushes of a nearby bike path.



The pup was unharmed and taken to safety. Sea lions do not make good pets, Wallerstein said. They bite with 10 times the strength of dogs, and their mouths are dirtier and more bacteria-ridden than any other mammal, he said. Keeping a sea lion as a pet is also a federal offence that carries a fine of up to $10,000 and a year in prison, Wallerstein added.

There's a short news video, where the sea lion is described as a baby seal, here.