Ore. aquarium adds sea lion pups, both blind 1 eye

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport has added two sea lion pups to its facility after both were found blind in one eye and unable to hunt for food.

The two 9-month-old females were found stranded as newborns in Southern California. One has a large cataract and the other had an eye injury.

They were taken in by the Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, Calif., which turned them over to aquarium staff to truck to Newport.

California sea lions, like 16 other species of pinnipeds, are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

The Oregon Coast aquarium opened in 1992 with six California sea lions, but two have died. The four remaining sea lions are in their 20s, just about the limit for the animals in captivity.

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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com