SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A group of rehabilitated marine animals returned to the wild this week thanks to efforts from a SeaWorld San Diego Rescue Team, offering a hopeful moment amid growing concerns about coastal wildlife health.
Rescue staff recently released five seabirds — including a brown pelican and four common murres — along with two California sea lions after weeks of intensive care. The animals had been found locally in severely emaciated condition and were treated with fluids, nutritional support and close monitoring until they regained enough strength to survive in the wild.
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The successful release comes as wildlife officials warn of a troubling pattern along the California coast. According to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, starvation is driving a rise in seabird strandings and deaths, particularly among younger birds struggling to find food.
SeaWorld’s rescue team says it has already responded to more than 100 distressed birds seabirds so far this year, with cases increasing sharply since late February. Many of the animals are arriving malnourished, a trend experts link to changing ocean conditions…