The Los Angeles Zoo has announced they will be bringing in a California sea lion to its Sea Life Cliffs exhibit for the first time in 8 years.
The new addition is Buddy, a blind, 10-year-old sea lion!
Senior animal keeper at the LA Zoo. Jennifer Kuypers says Buddy arrived at the zoo in May after being rescued and rehabilitated by the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles.
"Buddy has definitely brought a new sense of excitement to Sea Life Cliffs. Being from the wild, he came to us without any trained behaviors, and as we work with him we're learning about him as an individual. Buddy is a confident, smart sea lion who is adapting well to his new environment."
E xecutive director of the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles, Jeff Cozad says Buddy was malnourished and emaciated when he was found in Manhattan Beach last July because he couldn't hunt, forage or defend himself.
"This California sea lion was deemed non-releasable due to his injuries and blindness. That's when the Los Angeles Zoo stepped in. They felt our patient would enhance their Sea Life Cliffs exhibit and found him to be a perfect fit. We couldn't be happier that he was placed locally where MMCC L.A. visitors and volunteers can still visit him often."