Endangered sea lion was killed with a SHOTGUN off a West Australian beach - as wildlife expert is left sickened by the 'cruel, callous' act
- An Australian sea lion was found dead with shotgun wounds on a WA beach
- Shotgun pellets damaged the mammal's aorta, resulting in internal bleeding
- A passerby was shocked to discover the corpse on Cheynes Beach on Sunday
- Wildlife expert Jon Pridham said it was 'cruel, callous' act to shoot any animal
- The endangered species is only found in Australia along the coasts of WA and SA
An endangered sea lion has been found dead with shotgun wounds on a Western Australian beach.
A passerby was shocked to discover the Australian sea lion carcass while walking along Cheynes Beach, east of Albany, on Sunday.
The WA Parks and Wildlife Service shared a picture of the dead mammal to Facebook on Wednesday, calling on locals to help with the investigation.
The body of an endangered sea lion (pictured) has been found with shotgun wounds on a Western Australian beach. The WA Parks and Wildlife Service shared a picture of the dead mammal to Facebook on Wednesday, calling on locals to help with the investigation
'Tests have confirmed that an Australian sea lion found at Cheynes Beach near Albany over the weekend died as a result of wounds inflicted with a firearm,' the post was captioned.
'Australian sea lions are listed as a threatened species and significant penalties apply for injuring or killing them.'
Speaking to PerthNow, wildlife officer Jon Pridham said: 'It's unnecessary and callous, cruel, shooting any animal in the body like that — there's no guarantee that it is going to be a killing shot.
'They're endemic to Australia; they're quite unique, and unique in their reproductive biology. They're under threat, they're a vulnerable species in WA.'
A passerby was shocked to discover the Australian sea lion corpse while walking along Cheynes Beach (pictured), east of Albany, on Sunday. There is a sea lion colony nearby the beach, which is where the mammal likely came from
The wildlife officer revealed that shotgun pellets were deeply embedded in the sea lion and damaged the animal's aorta.
The aorta is a central artery that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body, meaning that the sea lion would have died within minutes of being shot.
Mr Pridham said the sea lion was likely from a colony near Cheynes Beach and suspects the mammal was shot at sea before washing up on the shore.
The state's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) is investigating the issue.
WA Police will assist with the investigation when needed, according to Mr Pridham.
Wildlife officer Jon Pridham said it was 'unnecessary, callous and cruel' to shoot sea lions since they were 'unique' creatures that are endemic to Australia.
Anyone caught injuring or killing the Australian sea lions can be fined up to $300,000 under the Biodiversity Conservation Act.
There are only an estimated 14,730 Australian sea lions in the country and the species is listed as 'in need of special protection'.
The endangered species is only found in Australia along the coast and islands of WA and SA, including Kangaroo Island.
The DBCA is encouraging people with information about the incident to contact them on 9842 4500.
An Australian sea lion colony on Hopkins Island in South Australia. The endangered species is only found in Australia along the coast and islands of WA and SA, including Kangaroo Island
