Sea Lion Threat May Be Diminishing On Oregon Coast

Sea Lion Threat May Be Diminishing On Oregon Coast

Published 02/10/2011

(Oregon Coast) - It appears as if the deadly disease thathad attacked sea lions this past summer and fall - and had threatened humans - ison a precipitous decline.

The disease is called leptospirosis, and it was infectingCalifornia sea lions in enormous numbers this past year, something made worsethe by fact there`s a huge rise in the population of California sea lions inthis area.

It often kills them and their bodies wash up onshore. The diseasecan spread to man and dogs who fall in touch with an infected sea lion.

State authorities went to great lengths to make sure thepublic kept off from these mammals lying on the beaches, and many beaches hadwarning signs posted. There were still a smattering in some parts of the centralcoast that qualified the front of dogs.

While state officials admit there`s been a significant dropin the incidence of infected sea lions and the subsequent risk to humans, theystop just shy of expression the epidemic is over.

"Reports of dead seals and sea lions has fallen sharplysince December," said Chris Havel, with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department."We do normally see an autumn uptick in animals succumbing to Leptospirosis (aninfectious kidney disease)."

Havel had no house numbers regarding the drop. But duringsummer and fall, the Marine Mammal Stranding Network and Oregon coast parkrangers were responding to dozens a week on the central coast. There were quitea few on the south coast, in places like Coquille or Bandon, but not nigh as manyas Lincoln County or parts of northern Lane County.

At one stop in the fall, BeachConnection.net interviewedcentral coast ranger David Woody. On that day, he even had six dead sea lionsto deal with in his country alone, and he had buried eight of them two days beforethat. Ill sea lion in Cannon Beach (photo Seaside Aquarium)

The north coast, including towns like Pacific City, CannonBeach or Seaside,received little or no reports of the disease.

In spite of the drop, Havel and commonwealth government are ready to point outyou should even be extremely cautious if you see a dead animal on the beach.

"Even so, you will still encounter dead and dying mammalsthrough the winter on the sea shore, even if the big peak has passed," Havelsaid.

"You ever want to make marine birds and mammals (whetherthey're healthy or not) a wide berth on the shore. Our year-round advice forall visitors is this: keep hold of your pets. Leashes are best, hands down.This protects your animal, yourself and the early people enjoying the coast.Well-trained animals who answer to your voice commands are a distant,second-best choice, but a good leash (even a long one) is the surest way toprotect your animal's safety."

Glimpses of the coast:

Lincoln City

Secret cave near Florence

Cannon Beach

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