A small Northern California fur seal named "Jasper Johns" was so weak that he had to eat threw a tube.
His body was thin and he couldn't hold on any longer.
Last Thursday he died, as biologists are starting to see a string of the malnourished fur seals found off the coast, according to the Bay Area-based Marine Mammal Center's blog.
Fur seals are relatives of sea lions, rather than seals, because they have external ear flaps and can walk on their hind flippers, so their name is somewhat of a misnomer, the center says.
Normally, the furry seals that have 300,000 hairs per square inch, don't come to shore, and predominantly dwell in the open ocean feeding off of small schools of fish like walleye pollock, herring, hake and anchovy, and squid.
But recently the center had five fur seals being treated on site, a few have died in past weeks, including Jasper Johns that died after having a seizure. The center anticipates more of the
"The Center sees a spike in the number of fur seal patients it rescues in some years, but it's unknown exactly what causes this spike and what factors are affecting their health and/or normal feeding patterns in the wild," the center explains.
In the mean time, veterinarians and volunteers have their hands full caring for this unique species. Fur seals are small and often appear to be harmless, but in fact, can be extremely aggressive and quick. With razor sharp teeth, they really keep their caretakers on their toes!"
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