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The large tank in the Central Garden of the Central Park Zoo houses three female

Heather Vlach California Sea Lions harmonizing at the Central Park.

California sea lions: Scooter, 20 years; April, 15 years; and Clarice, 9 years.

Habitat :California sea lions are found along the western coast of North America, from Vancouver south to Mexico and off the Galapagos Islands.

Description : California sea lions are agile both on land and in the water. This is due to their long front flippers, strong enough that they can balance their weight on them. Considering a male sea lion may reach up to 1000 lbs., this is no small feat. Female sea lions may weigh between 100-400 lbs. and reach approximately 5-6.5 feet in length. The CPZ’s 5 female sea lions average between 200-400 lbs.  A California sea lion’s average life span is 17 years.

California sea lions are able to hold their breath for up to 15 minutes and dive to depths of 700 feet. They use their long front flippers to propel themselves in the water and can swim about 12 mph. But when they porpoise, an action that allows the sea lions to leap into the air while swimming and breathe without losing momentum, they may reach speeds up to 25 mph. This is comes in handy when trying to avoid a killer whale or a shark, or when hunting prey.

Diet : Adult California sea lions may eat 15-40 lbs. of fish and marine life a day. At the CPZ, the five sea lions are fed capelin, herring, vitamin E, and salt supplements. Feedings coincide with behavior enrichment and training three times a day at 11:30 AM, 2 PM and 4 PM. 

Exhibit :This tank is lightly chlorinated and contains 148,000 gallons of water. Water depth is 8 feet and the tank is filtered at 400 gallons per minute.

Threats : Pollution, over fishing, oil drilling and spilling, and coastal development.

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