![]() “After Björn’s rough start in life, it is nice to provide him comfort and exceptional care at our zoo.”ījörn’s animal care team plans to give him plenty of fish and positive interactions with humans in the years ahead. “Animals are remarkable and wonderful at adapting,” explained Dr. Wolf discovered Björn also has kidney disease, which is being managed with medication. The surgery may even extend his life, said Dr. Now, with the removal of his eyes, Björn will have an improved quality of life. Much like domestic animals with eye removals, Björn adjusted quickly, using his other senses to navigate his habitat. Because of his pre-existing blindness, keepers had already trained Björn to recognize tapping noises and verbal cues like “on deck,” “follow,” and “back.” The word “water” lets him know when he’s close to his pool. He’s enthusiastically participating in training and is constantly swimming again.” Assistant Curator Sheriden uses tapping noises and verbal cues to communicate with Björn “Keepers say they have their ‘old Björn’ back,” said Dr. Now, three weeks post-surgery, Björn is thriving. Wolf determined that Björn’s eyes were causing him significant discomfort and required surgical removal. Karen Wolf.Īfter much observation, discussion, and consultation with a veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. “We noticed Björn spending a lot of time rubbing his face on the side of his pool and squinting his eyes,” said Head Veterinarian Dr. And his bravery and strength are inspiring his animal care team once again. Now, three years after his rescue, Björn is facing a new challenge. Underweight and non-releasable to the wild due to his blindness, Björn found a permanent home at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in 2021. Upon examination, staff discovered that Björn had bullets lodged in his head that caused him to go blind and a scar on his abdomen from a likely shark bite. The 11-year-old sea lion was rescued off the coast of southern California in December 2019 and brought to a rehabilitation center. On average, sports fishermen catch around 200 wolf eels per year.Björn ( pronounced bee-yorn), the sea lion, is definitely a fighter. Sportsmen also enjoy hunting the fish because of its large size and fearsome appearance. Even though there is no wolf eel industry, fishermen target the fish for its delicate white flesh. Wolf Eels are popular targets among hunters Non-commercial fishermen frequently hunt wolf eels, both legally and illegally.And trawler nets sweeping through reefs destroy coral habitats. The crab and octopus industries have depleted wolf eel habitats of the eel’s primary food sources. ![]() Thus, it is common for wolf eels to become trapped in crab traps while hunting. Wolf eels feed on crustaceans, such as crabs. ![]() Commercial fishing deprives wolf eels of food and habitats Even though there is no commercial industry for fishing wolf eels, they are still hurt by the commercial crabbing industry.Wolf eels are not considered an endangered species. However, their population has likely been declining for several years. Commercial fisheries do not target wolf eels, but human activity has been hurting the wolf eel population for decades.
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