8 Sea Lions Found Shot to Death Near Seattle

Posted: February 2, 2012  |  By: Staff Writer [MSNBC.com]

At least eight sea lions have been found shot to death in the Puget Sound region in recent weeks, wildlife officials say.

The bodies of seven sea lions were recently found on the Nisqually River, south of Tacoma, all apparently shot, NBC station KING 5 of Seattle reported. On Monday, a mature male California sea lion was found dead on West Seattle's Lincoln Park beach.

During a necropsy, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife removed a bullet from the left lung of that sea lion, according to the animal protection group Seal Sitters, which keeps watch over baby seals left on the beach while their mothers are foraging.

State and federal authorities are investigating, but they said they don't know who killed the sea lions. The penalty could range from fees to possible jail time.

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