Featured Image Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo
By: Amanda Kelley
This summer, the Smithsonian National Zoo welcomed the arrival of the first sea lion pup born at the zoo in a whopping 32 years.
Her name is Catalina and she is absolutely adorable:
Though Catalina was born to her mom Calli back in June, she was recently introduced to the zoo’s sea lion colony in August. The pup and her mother were kept separate from the sea lion exhibit during and after the birth in order to ensure the pair’s safety, as well as the colony’s.
Catalina and Calli remained in the enclosure for 2 months while the pup was in infancy. Even though they were separated from the colony, it was done in a manner that allowed the other sea lions to both see and smell the pair in order to become accustomed to their presence.
Once the animal care staff determined that Calli was prepared to introduce Catalina to the other members of the colony, the pair re-joined the sea lion exhibit.
Have a look at her precious debut!
California sea lions like Catalina and her colony have a home range in the wild from Baja, Mexico to Vancouver Island in Canada. These cuddly mammals were once hunted to dangerously low population levels for their luxurious fur, but are now considered a species of least concern by the ICUN.