Who Let the Seals Out?
By Shaylyn French
February 9 at around 4 p.m. reports called into Astoria Dispatch of a large group of sea lions that apparently were having quite the fun party. The sea lions must have had one too many because they trashed the fence, crawled everywhere, and even made their way onto the parking lot for even more excitement! Upon APD’s arrival, they discovered no empathy for their actions and as a result, spent the rest of the evening within the jail-like barricade law enforcement officials had placed up to keep them confined. There was no word on who was responsible for the damages to the city property, all were cited for aiding, abetting, and looting as well.
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Sea Lions are Our Neighbors Too.
Sea lions have been a part of the Astoria community for a long time and could be considered as part of our population here in the area. However, should you see any of our barking neighbors out of their barricaded home and up on the parking lot, the right thing to do is to notify dispatch immediately. This call in all seriousness was to prevent the sea lions from getting close to the ammonia tanks which could have negatively impacted them. Yes, they are fun to take your children down the docks to look at and listen to their unique callings, however, it is very important in these circumstances to make sure that you and your children keep a safe distance away from the animals and to not approach them for any reason.
This includes taking photos, attempting to touch the sea lions in anyway, or an attempt to “help” the situation by getting involved yourself. Sea lions have very sharp teeth and powerful bite. Its best to simply stand by, keep a look out, and wait for the proper authorities to arrive and resolve the matter.
