Entanglement rescue

While the staff from the Sausalito Marine Mammal Center Hospital was in Cambria last week for a sea lion release,  they took advantage of their visit to help an entangled elephant seal.

This seal had something around its neck.

The rescuers plan their approach.

They surround the seal, who intuits that something is going on.

They anesthetize the seal so that they can work on this complicated removal.

Success! The offending plastic ring is removed. The seal will be scarred but can now survive and is no longer suffering.

Thanks, Marine mammal Center, for your service!