Highway-Crossing Sea Lion Euthanized

A sea lion t after being shot in the face had to be euthanized Wednesday, according to a spokesman for the Marine Mammal Center.

The female sea lion, named "Broadway Bound" for the route she took toward the Highway 101 Broadway off-ramp, was euthanized after preliminary tests indicated that she might suffer from toxic algae poisoning along with , center spokesman Jim Oswald said.

After being found in a ditch on the side of the highway, the animal was taken to the Sausalito-based center, where veterinarians found she had recently suffered a gunshot wound to the face, Oswald said.

Broadway Bound was the sixth sea lion treated by the center for a gunshot wound this year. No information is available about a possible suspect in the most recent shooting, and no arrests have been made in any of the year's previous cases, Oswald said.

"A lot of the cases can't even be investigated," he said. "Without a witness, it's really, really hard."

Anyone with information about the shooting of Broadway Bound or another sea lion is encouraged to call the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's tip line at 1-800-853-1964.

To report a distressed marine mammal, call the Marine Mammal Center at 415-289-SEAL.

--Bay City News Service