A $2,500 reward is being offered to find the person or people responsible for shooting a harpoon through a sea lion nicknamed Bubba whose images were seen around the Web in May with a fatal wound and who died last week.
The 600-pound bull sea lion was first spotted in late May in the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard and on the docks by boaters who noticed the homemade spear protruding from his body.
Bubba was taken to SeaWorld in San Diego where spear was removed. But the animal died from infection, inflammation and low glucose on June 3.
"Clearly it was done intentionally," said veterinarian Sam Dover at the time of the rescue.
The person responsible for killing the sea lion could face federal charges under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
"It angers me," said Keith Yip, curator of mammals at SeaWorld San Diego and leader of its rescue team. "You know, it's not right. There's no animal that deserves this kind of treatment."
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement at 562-980-4056, or the NOAA 24 hour hotline at 800-853-1964.
