In the latest bit of plucky pinniped news: a sea lion flopped its way across Highway 101 early Saturday morning. After finding herself far from home and lying in a ditch on the side of the Highway, the sea lion — who rescuers named Broadway Bound — recovered Sunday at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. more ›

King Neptune, seen here recovering from gunshot wounds at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, is the most recent victim of human-on-pinniped violence in the Bay Area. Mr. Neptune was found last Wednesday at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf suffering from "large caliber" gunshot wounds. He is the fourth such victim rescued by the MMC in the past year. more ›

A reward is being offered in the capture of the person(s) who shot a sea lion in the face back in December. If you recall, a sea lion was discovered December 9 on a Sausalito beach "with his right eye missing, his left eye swollen shut and shotgun pellets lodged inside his head." The poor guy was left blind, and "will not be able to return to the wild." According to AP (via The Examiner), the Humane Society is offering a $2,500 reward to find whoever shot teh sea lion. more ›

We noted last week the recent infestation of sea lions spilling over down at the piers, and this week's SF Weekly has a piece about efforts by Sausalito's Marine Mammal Center to rehabilitate injured and malnourished sea lions -- efforts which are, kinda, aiding the overpopulation. Writer Ashley Harrell points to the fact that sea lions have traditionally been used by environmentalists as "charismatic megafauna," i.e. the kind of cute, endearing animals who can serve as the public face for a preservation cause and rally support via their adorable little faces. more ›

A wayward sea lion was found by Oakland police early this morning after it took a stroll onto northbound Interstate Highway 880. The rapscallion sea lion was detained in an Oakland police vehicle for being very, very bad. Eventually, someone from the Marine Mammal Center arrived to take the animal. While the creature's condition is not yet known, judging by the image at right, it looks like it got a good scare. (Adorable little sea lions shouldn't be anywhere near Nimitz Freeway, officials scolded.) According to KRON 4, when the OPD officers pulled up and opened the back door of their squad car, "the sea lion hopped right in." more ›