Just like baby humans must learn to walk, baby sea lions must learn to swim. This little female sea lion pup, born June 14th at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, is no exception so keepers have lowered the water level in the enclosure to something closer to an inflatable kiddy pool than a nice fancy inground. As the pup grows, so too will the water depth, kind of like YMCA swimming classes.
Little sea lion thinks she could get used to this...
Enough splashing. Nap time.
Sea Lion Pup on Display at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Contest to Select Name
Omaha, NE (July 2, 2009) – A female sea lion pup, born on June 14, 2009, is now on
display at Owen’s Seal Lion Pavilion at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. Dennis Pate, Director
and CEO, will be available for interviews at 10:30 a.m. today, July 2, 2009. Please enter
through Guest Services.
The general public is invited to submit an entry to name the pup. The official entry box
is located at the Sea Lion Pavilion. Name submissions will only be accepted at this location until
July 19, 2009. The sea lion pup’s name will be selected by a panel of zoo keepers that care for
Omaha’s Zoo sea lions. The winning name will be announced on July 28, 2009 via website and
press release. The person that submits the winning name will receive a unique Omaha’s Zoo gift
bag. The winner will also receive the opportunity to interact with the sea lions alongside a zoo
keeper during a regular training session. Should the winning name have multiple entries, a
random drawing will determine the one winner.
Sea lion pups are born on beaches. To prepare for the birth at Omaha’s Zoo, visitors may
have noticed the low water depth inside the sea lion exhibit. The mother begins to teach the pup
how to swim as early as a few days old by pulling the pup into the water for short periods of
time. This continues over several days, each time getting farther and deeper out into the water.
The sea lion pool is back to its normal depth level as the pup is now able to manage itself in the
deeper water. The sea lion pup joins the one male and four females currently on display.
