Malibu : Assistance for Sea Lion
Help may still be on the way for Gilly, the young California sea lion with a gill net slicing into its neck that has eluded attempts to capture it off Malibu’s Surfrider Beach.
A Malibu veterinarian has launched a fund-raising campaign to buy a net gun in a bid to rescue the injured animal, which often rests on a bait platform a quarter of a mile off the Malibu Pier.
Dr. Nancy Smith said that about $500 was raised Sunday during a benefit “dog wash” at the Malibu Animal Hospital, which she owns. About $3,100 is needed to buy the instrument, which Smith said would be donated to the county Animal Control Department.
The young sea lion attracted widespread attention in February when it was first spotted on the platform. Experts say the animal will choke to death unless the monofilament net is removed.
The net gun would allow rescuers to shoot a net over the animal at a distance, as opposed to trying to throw the net over it. Each time rescuers have gotten close to the sea lion on the platform, it has slipped into the water and disappeared.
Smith said people interested in helping to buy the net gun may call 456-6441.
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