Spotting a sea lion is rare - Wildlife Director

Referring to the spotting of a sea lion in Sri Lanka in the Bambalapitiya area, the Wildlife Conservation Director-General G.C. Sooriyabandara today said it is a rare incident and people should bear in mind not to disturb the creature.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he said the sea lions fall under the category of marine mammals and are found in all climates, in both the northern and southern hemispheres and in every ocean.

The sea lion that was suddenly spotted in the Bambalapitiya area was also seen in the Mirissa sea on November 23.

"These sea lions moult once each year, usually after the breeding season and during this period the seals cannot enter the water because they do not have proper insulation to keep them warm. For moulting, the sea lions reach land areas to get their skin open directly to the sunlight," he said.

Moulting is when an animal loses its fur or feathers and the coat is replaced with a new one.

However, this sea lion might have been caught to a sea current and dragged towards our country. This creature was initially spotted in the Mirissa sea and now spotted in the Bambalapitiya sea area, he said.

Sri Lanka had signed with the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and was therefore bound to protection of this sea lion, Mr. Sooriyabandara said.

"We request people not to disturb and frighten the sea lion as it comes to the ground to rest. If people gathered to watch it, they might scare it away," Mr.Sooriyabandara added. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)