in the Colombo Zoo...!! Lions are the kings of the jungles, but why are these marine mammals called ‘Sea Lions’..? Known as Muhudu Sinhaya in Sinhala, this strange name grabs the attention of the zoo visitors who flock to the arena at the entrance to the Aquarium to witness the performances of Chakku and Karl - Colombo Zoo’s pair of sea lions. They are very intelligent and play many tricks in front of you. It is amazing, how they so obediently act on their master’s commands. Playing with the ball is their favourite game and they also like to swim the length of the small pond to show acrobatic skills. After the show, the sea lion would shake hands with the masters and say goodbye to the audience before they go into their dens, located inside.“It is not that hard to train the sea lions” say the trainers of these marine mammals. The Colombo zoo received Karl only 2 years ago when he was only 1 year old, but he learned the tricks very fast, according to the trainers. The Aquarium has 2 master trainers to look after these sea lions. Both Karl and Chakku like the company of their trainers and they also get little fish as a tip after every performance. Their favourite diet includes hurulla, salaya and cuttlefish. Both of them wait until 4.00 pm in the evening to perform at the special arena near the entrance to the Aquarium.
Chakku is the elder of the two who is now 9 years old. The Colombo Zoo received Chakku from Japan and Karl from Krefeld Zoo in Germany. But sea lions are not found either in Europe or Asia, naturally. Both Karl and Chakku belong to a species called Californian sea lions and as the name suggests, are found in numbers off the coast of California of the United States of America. But their actual range is far more extensive. They inhabit areas from Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the North, to Mexico in the South in the sea around the American continent. An adult sea lion male can be as heavy as 1,000 lbs and 7 feet in length. However, the female does not grow that big and an adult female can at average be 350 lbs in weight and 6 feet in length. Unlike some marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, the sea lions share their life between water and land. They generally haul out of the water to mate, rest, give birth and moult. California sea lions are also very social animals, and large groups often rest closely placed together in their favourite hauling sites. They are also vociferous communicators making ‘bark’ type noises. A colony of a sea lions in the wild can be so noisy -- you would call it as noisy as malu kade if described in purely Sinhala terms.
Lions in Navy
The name “Sea Lion” in fact would have been derived from the little mane developed in the mature males. Though the mane or the coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal’s neck is not as big as that of an African lion’s, it would be enough to win the hearts of the female sea lions in the wild. Males also grow a large crest of bone on the top of their heads as they reach sexual maturity, and it is this that gives the animal its generic name Zalophus californianus (za-emphaticloph-forehead) meaning Californian big-head.
The Californian sea lions are also trained by the US Navy for underwater surveillance. Sea Lions are indeed very intelligent marine mammals and have already been trained to detect underwater landmines, for ship and harbour protection -- and underwater equipment recovery. These trained sea lion comrades can be highly use
ful as they can reach places inaccessible to human divers. It is estimated that they can dive to 1,000 feet (304 m) and silently swim at speeds of upto 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). So they are being trained for military purposes, since 1960 according the internet sources. It is documented that sea lions have been sent,in the Persian Gulf, to protect U.S. ships from enemy divers. The animals are trained to swim behind divers approaching a ship and attach a clamp, which is connected to a rope, to a diver’s leg. Navy officials say that the sea lions can get the job done in seconds -- and the enemy doesn’t know the clamp was attached to his leg until it’s too late. The US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program sparked cotrovery and was fiecely criticised by the animal welfare activists. However the sea lion’s intelligence, exceptional diving ability, and trainability made it a very useful comrade of the best naval force in the world.Life of the Lions of the Sea
During the breeding season, California sea lions gather in traditional sites known as rookeries. As per the Sea World institute which had documented much information about the sea lions, at the onset of the breeding season, male California sea lions start establishing breeding territories. Once territories are established, males patrol their boundaries and ‘bark’ when necessary to maintain and defend them.
An intruding male evokes an immediate response from the resident male, who struggles violently to displace the intruder. But they also patrol the aquatic borders of their territories by swimming along the territories’ edges. During the breeding season, adult males fast when defending their territories. Pups are born on land and it is observed that most California sea lion pups are born in June. Recent research revealed that the mother sea lion has the ability to delay the development of the embryo until the conditions become favourable. Delayed implantation assures that the pup will be born when environmental conditions are optimal for its survival. However, females ge
nerally give birth to one pup each year and they are well developed with their eyes open. Pups also can swim at birth and within 30 minutes they are able to shake, groom, scratch, and walk. Multiple births have never been observed in the wild according to some sources and once born, the mother nurses them for at least five to six months. This protection sometimes can lengthen over a year where the motherly love grows very intimate. All the pups who live in a large sea lion colony would looks similar, but the mother sea lion can recognize pups on crowded rookeries through smell and vocalizations. It is observed that the female vocalizes often during and immediately after the birth of her pup. The pup instinctively replies and this vocal interaction may continue for 20 minutes or more. Perhaps, this is to register each other’s unique voices. A sea lion’s average lifespan is said to be around 17 years in the wild, and longer in captivity. Their noses are sealed shut, they are able to stay underwater for up to 15 minutes, but have to surface after that period.Sea Lion Show
The sea lion show is performed every day at a special arena near the entrance to the Aquarium. Have a look at how Chakku and Karl perform on your next visit to the zoo..!! But please pay attention that your cousins of the wild enjoy their freedom ; they who were born in captivity have sacrificed their freedom to entertain you. So be mindful that some of your behaviour can be harmful to these curious animals. Oshin - the partner of Chakku brought from Japan died few years back and a number of coins thrown by ignorant visitors were found in its stomach. So never throw anything to the pool of water where these sea lions perform daily, but enjoy their performances. Also take home the message that Chakku and Karl are trying to convey - “Protect Oceans of Life, so that many species like us get the chance to survive..!!”
Published on LakbimaNews on 20.06.2010 http://www.lakbimanews.lk/archvi/lakbimanews_10_06_20/mag/mag5.htm
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