Resumen del producto

The study herein describes the rehabilitation and release of a blind subadult male California sea lion, Zalophus californianus (CSL005), found stranded in Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Mexico, on February 2, 2017. The individual was lethargic and displayed poor body condition. It was transported to the dolphinarium Dolphin Adventure (Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit) for medical care. Its blindness was related to corneal opacity due to edema and bilateral cataracts. Considering previous records regarding blind pinnipeds in apparent good body condition in the wild, in conjunction with the high sensitivity of pinniped vibrissae, CSL005 was released at Los Islotes (southern Gulf of California) on May 20, 2017 (106 days after stranding). On July 12, 2017 (53 days after release), CSL005 was sighted at the San Benito Archipelago (SBA) in the Mexican Pacific. Its body condition was good, with an apparent weight equal to or higher than the one recorded prior to release. The presence of CSL005 on SBA appeared to follow the natural behavior proposed for this species’ migrating subadult males, which arrive in the southern part of the Gulf of California in the fall and abandon the area in the spring. This record highlights the importance of vibrissae as sensitive structures and probably critical in permitting this blind individual to present a good condition, nearly two months after its release and displacement over approximately 1,500 km away from the point of release. Nearly two months could be nor enough to ensure the overall success of releasing blind sea lions. We acknowledge that an extended period of sightings and a larger sample size of sea lions with this condition would result is a stronger conclusion in this regard. However, this record sets a precedent for blind pinnipeds that may be candidates for release into the wild following adequate rehabilitation over significant time, ruling out other factors that may put the individual at risk upon release.

Palabras clave: Blindness; Zalophus; Survival; whiskers

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