A Steller sea lion entangled in rope for nearly a month was rescued in B.C. and released.

A Steller sea lion in Cowichan Bay, B.C., was rescued on December 9 after being entangled in a thick rope around its neck for nearly a month. The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society and Fisheries and Oceans Canada successfully disentangled the animal following weeks of tracking amid poor weather and limited sightings. The sea lion, named Stl’eluqum by the Cowichan Tribes, was sedated, freed, and released. VAMMR warned that marine debris poses a serious threat to marine mammals, with over 400 sea lions estimated to be entangled along B.C.’s coast, and urged the public to report distressed animals.