LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA — A sick sea lion rescued from a Los Angeles County creek earlier this year had two bullets in its head, a rescue nonprofit announced Thursday.
The sea lion, named Confetti, was rescued by the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles from Ballona Creek on Jan. 15, making him the first patient of the year, the nonprofit said in a Facebook post.
“Confetti tested positive for leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that affects the kidneys and can be fatal if not treated,” the nonprofit said. “His blood work also showed concerning liver abnormalities.”
Veterinary staff started him on supportive medications and antibiotics, the nonprofit said, adding that staff also provided him with fluids to treat his dehydration.
For the first few days after arriving at the hospital, the nonprofit said, “Confetti was markedly lethargic.”
“He showed no interest in fish and rarely moved,” according to the nonporift.
His “poor condition and lack of improvement” worried veterinary staff.
“But finally, on day four in care, he started moving around and was more alert,” the nonprofit said.
Just three days later, “he successfully chased and ate live fish,” the nonprofit said.
And, by the next day, he was eating multiple times per day.
“Incidentally, skull X-rays taken during Confetti’s initial exams showed that he has two bullets in his head, indicating that this was actually the second time he had narrowly escaped death,” the non-profit said. “Sadly, it is not unusual to find sea lions that have been shot by humans, highlighting the prevalence of violence these animals face.”
The nonprofit said in many of these cases, the injured sea lions die; however, in some cases, they can survive.
“As he continues to recover, thanks to compassionate people like you, his resilience offers hope after a very tough year for sea lions in 2025,” the nonprofit said.