Video appears to show individual following animal as it moves away
Federal wildlife authorities are investigating after a video on social media appeared to show a person kicking a protected sea lion at La Jolla Cove in San Diego. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries confirmed the investigation in a statement.
“NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement is investigating reports of a video on social media that shows an interaction between an individual and sea lion, allegedly in La Jolla Cove,” a spokesperson for the agency said. “In the video, the individual appears to be kicking the sea lion. This is an ongoing investigation, and we cannot provide further details at this time.”
The video appears to show a person kicking the sea lion as the animal attempts to move away on the sand. The person appears to follow the animal and continue kicking. At least one other person can be heard laughing in the background.
Sea lions are protected under federal law.