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Jul 19, 2008 3:24 pm US/Pacific

Rescued Sea Lion To Be Euthanized

SANTA CLARA (AP) ― Veterinarians say a sea lion rescued after spending weeks trapped in a Santa Clara creek is enduring incurable brain seizures and must be euthanized.

Mammal experts caring for the sea lion learned Friday that the 4-year-old animal was suffering from domoic acid poisoning, a condition caused by long-term exposure to toxic algae blooms.

A spokesman for the Sausalito-based Marine Mammal Center said the sea lion would likely starve to death or have a seizure and drown if released back into the wild.

The animal is set to be euthanized in the next few days.

Volunteers used fishing nets and a dog kennel earlier this month to rescue the 6-foot, 200-pound mammal from the creek, where it had been swimming since June.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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