Sea Lion Pup Charger Makes Debut At Brookfield Zoo
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Charger, a month-old sea lion pup, debuted at Brookfield Zoo on Friday, enjoying the sun and warm summer air alongside his mother, Josephine.
Already twice the size as he was at birth, weighing about 40 pounds, Charger is learning to swim and bonding with his mother. The zoo said he is quickly warming up to his new surroundings in the outdoor habitat at Pinniped Point.
Charger the Sea Lion Pup Makes His Public Debut at Brookfield ZooLook who's got a name! Meet Charger, the male California sea lion pup born on June 10. He took his first waddles to the outdoor habitat at Pinniped Point on Thursday and warmed up to his new surroundings pretty quick. Kudos to mom Josephine for showing him how it's done. #BrookfieldZoo
Posted by Brookfield Zoo on Friday, July 12, 2019
While the zoo will begin feeding him a diet of fish next month, he will continue to nurse from his mother for at least five to six months, possibly up to a year.
Josephine gave birth to another sea lion in June 2017. She was rescued as a pup herself after she was abandoned by her mother at Pier 39 in San Francisco. She was brought to Brookfield Zoo in 2010.
Although not an endangered species, California sea lions face numerous threats in the wild, including fishing lines, toxins ingested from their prey, toxic and hazardous waste dumped in the ocean, and dwindling food sources due to climate change.