Federal wildlife authorities are investigating after a video appeared to show a person kicking a protected sea lion at a beach in California.
Investigation Underway
A spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed an investigation into the case but declined to provide additional details on Sunday.
The video appears to show a person throwing kicks at the sea lion at La Jolla Cove in San Diego as at least one other person can be heard laughing in the background. The person follows the sea lion, throwing more kicks at the animal as it tries to scoot away before the video ends.
Official Response
“NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement is investigating reports of a video on social media that shows an interaction between an individual and sea lion, allegedly in La Jolla Cove,” a spokesperson for the agency said. “In the video, the individual appears to be kicking the sea lion. This is an ongoing investigation, and we cannot provide further details at this time.”
The person in the video has not been publicly identified.
Protected Species
Sea lions are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NOAA’s guidelines say that people should stay at least 50ft (15 meters) away from sea lions, seals and other species protected by the act.
“This disgusting act of animal cruelty is unacceptable,” said Todd Gloria, San Diego’s mayor, in a post on X. He acknowledged the federal investigation and said he has directed local law enforcement to review the footage.
