People are exhausting. Now, federal wildlife cops are hunting some genius who decided to use a protected California sea lion as a soccer ball. A viral video captured the whole ugly scene at San Diego’s La Jolla Cove.
The footage is grim. It shows a person repeatedly kicking the marine mammal as it scrambles to get away. Off-camera, someone laughs. It is sick. The suspect remains unidentified.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is on the case. Their law enforcement arm confirmed they are looking into the social media clip, though they are keeping details close to the chest for now.
These animals have rights. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, sea lions are federally shielded. The law says keep your distance. Fifty feet, to be exact. Apparently, that was too complex a concept for this guy.
Local politicians are furious. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria took to social media to blast the incident, calling it a disgusting act of animal cruelty. He has ordered local police to help the feds track the kicker down.
