Federal authorities are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for any information that leads to a civil penalty or criminal conviction for the individual who shot and killed a California sea lion back in August.
In an Oct. 9 statement, the National Marine Fisheries Service, better known as NOAA Fisheries, said its office of law enforcement is seeking any information about the person who shot the animal, along with any other details about the incident that could help with inquiries.
According to NOAA, the two year old male sea lion was found alive on Aug. 7 between lifeguard stations 22 and 23 at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County, California. The Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Orange County rescued the wounded marine animal and found it had a gunshot to its back. The sea lion died from its injuries the following day….