Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Sealing the End of the Month With This Post

Ending it with a roar:

"Starving sea lion pups stranding on California beaches" Associated Press  March 17, 2015

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — California rescue centers have been struggling this year to keep up with hundreds of sick and starving sea lion pups washing up along the coast.

More than 1,100 pups have been rescued since January from beaches and also from inside public restrooms, behind buildings, and along railroad tracks.

It’s not unusual to have some sea lions wash up each spring as the pups leave their mothers, but so far, the number of stranded babies is five times greater than in 2013, the worst season in recent memory.

The situation is so bad that Sea World suspended its sea lion show so it can focus on rescue efforts. The theme park has treated 400 pups and constructed two temporary pools to house them.

Scientists aren’t sure what’s causing the crisis but suspect that warmer waters from this winter’s mild El Nino weather pattern are affecting the sea lion birthing grounds along the Channel Islands off the Southern California coast.

The warm water is probably pushing prime sea lion foods — market squid, sardines, and anchovies — further north, forcing the mothers to abandon their pups for up to eight days at a time in search of sustenance.

The pups, scientists believe, are weaning themselves early out of desperation and setting out on their own despite being underweight and ill-prepared....

Well, I'm going to throw them some fish and go get some chow myself.

--more--"

Can you believe they are blaming global warming and not the 300 tons of radioactive water leaking into the ocean from Fukushima everyday for the last 4+ years?