Sea lions appear harmless at first, but a rogue one caused a commotion proving that animals will always have a wild side to them. Recently, a sea lion grabbed a little girl by her shirt and pulled her into the water.
The shocking video (see below) was captured in Steveston and has been going viral since. From the video, the sea lion used its mouth to grab the little girl who voluntarily moved to the edge of the boat to possibly look at the creature up close. No one on the boat felt threatened by the sea lion; thus, everyone was shocked by what the animal did next.
In a reflex reaction, a man, despite being fully dressed, jumped into the water to rescue the little girl before she was dragged deeper. The incident raises the importance of warnings posted in zoos that say "Don't feed the animals".
Apparently, the sea lion attacked after being fed off a dock. Despite being rescued, experts like Danielle Hyson, a senior marine mammal trainer at Vancouver Aquarium, said it could have been worse.
The sea lion appears curious at first, launching itself from the water in an attempt to search for more food, according to a report. Based on research, sea lions are known for their curiosity. Although they seem to be harmless, experts say that irresponsible feeding of wildlife can cause dangerous close encounters. This rule applies to most wildlife creatures ranging from birds to bears.
"The more and more we feed wild animals, the more and more we're putting ourselves at risk for those situations," Hyson said in a statement. "It's a reminder to just leave wild animals be."
Sea lions are used to getting scraps thrown by fishermen in boats. This might have triggered the attack that endangered the little girl. Authorities have been working tirelessly to remind the public against feeding wildlife off docks and shorelines and the incident is a testament that the repercussions could be brutal.