Featured Image Credit: breakingnews.ie
By: Sarah Sharkey
The Dublin Zoo in Ireland is proud to announce the recent arrival of three sea lion pups! The pups all arrived within two weeks of each other.
The three pups were the first California sea lions born at the Dublin Zoo in over 6 years.
The father of all three babies is Niko, the mothers are Florence, Seanna, and Cassie. All of the parents are happy and proud of their young ones.
The pups are learning about life from their parents slowly and will receive the best care from the team at the Dublin Zoo. Eddie O’Brien, the team leader, had this to say about the pups’ arrival “I’m delighted to say that the new mums and their young are doing very well. While each mum is teaching her pup, she will swim beneath it to keep it afloat and guide it through the water.”
In the wild, California sea lions give birth to their offspring in June. The water is warmer and the food is more plentiful than any other time of the year, so it is the perfect time to welcome young pups into the world. The pups will be nursed by their mothers before they are weaned and join the ranks of their adult counterparts.