No one knows why decapitated sea lions keep turning up in Vancouver, Canada
The decapitated bodies of at least five sea lions found on the shores of Vancouver Island, Canada, over the past few months hint that there may be a marine-mammal serial killer on the loose, or perhaps someone who is lopping off the heads of already dead sea lions ...
It's unclear how these animals died, but after looking at photos of the dead animals, Anna Hall, a marine mammal zoologist ... said that humans are likely to blame.
"To me, this looks intentional, whether it's by a single person or a group of people" ... "I sincerely hope that Fisheries and Oceans Canada pursues this case to determine who is doing this and to bring them to justice because this is a violation of federal law." ...
Deborah Short ... said she noticed a headless sea lion while walking her dog along the shore in April, and decided to take some photos. "At first I thought it was a log and then as I got closer, I realized it was a sea lion" ... "I immediately walked over in that direction, only to discover that its head had been severed. I was just sick to my stomach."
In June, Short came across another headless sea that was near the body of a skinned seal ... Other people who have found decapitated sea lions in the area have since sent their photos to Short. In some instances, it appears that the creature's clean skull was left next to the body. As of now, the body count is at least five ...
This isn't the first time that headless pinnipeds have washed ashore. Four headless sea lions were found on Vancouver Island in 2013, and at least 12 seal carcasses were found on the banks of the St. Lawrence in Quebec in 2014 ... It's still unclear why these animals were targeted ...
