The sea lion needed help in a bad way. Photo: FFA
There is a lot of garbage sitting around on our beaches and in our oceans. All too often, animals eat it or get stuck in it. Beachgoers in Argentina were presented with a very good example of such a thing when they spotted a sea lion with a tire around its neck.
Now, sea lions are large, very strong animals, so getting a tire off of one’s neck is no easy feat. Not wanting to use anesthesia because of the risk that the sea lion might run to the water, fall asleep, and drown with the extra weight around its neck, volunteers with Fundacion Fauna Argentina (FFA) created a tool that they could hook the tire with — from a distance, of course.
This is far from the first time the FFA has had to deal with a similar situation. “It is common for the foundation to rescue entangled animals,” the FFA told The Dodo. “An average of 300 animals are rescued each year — and the figure grows due to pollution.”
After more than a few failed attempts, a volunteer was finally able to snag the tire. Then, he engaged in a very strange game of tug-of-war, and eventually, the tire popped off and the sea lion was free.
