Los Angeles authorities seek kidnapped sea lion pup

LOS ANGELES, April 20 (UPI) -- Authorities in California said they are searching for a sea lion pup kidnapped by a group of people on a Los Angeles beach.

The Los Angeles Police Department said a witness told investigators two men and two women were seen harassing a pair of pups at Dockweiler State Beach about 3:30 a.m. Sunday and the group allegedly threw objects at the animals, including trash and cinder blocks.

The witness told police the group retrieved a blanket from a car and wrapped one of the sea lions before leaving with the animal in a black Honda Civic.

The second sea lion pup avoided being taken by the group and was picked up by Marine Animal Rescue.

Peter Wallerstein of Marine Animal Rescue said the kidnappers weren't just endangering the animals with their actions, they were endangering themselves. He said sea lions have "the dirtiest mouth of any mammal."

"They could get bitten, they could get infected," Wallerstein told KNBC-TV. "The sea lions can inflict a very serious bite."

The LAPD said the incident is being investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a federal agency that tracks sea lion strandings.

Wallerstein told the Los Angeles Times people who take sea lions are often aspiring pet owners who soon find they are unable to properly care for the animals.

"They'll put them in their bathtubs, then call us to rescue them," Wallerstein said.

Authorities said taking a sea lion is a federal crime punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and up to a year in jail.