T: 01492 532938
E: info@welshmountainzoo.org
Old Highway, Colwyn Bay, Conwy,
North Wales, LL28 5UY
MONTY MAKES A SPLASH
- 19th June 2023
- Kaitlyn Jenkins
We're celebrating the arrival of our latest resident – a tiny California Sea Lion pup named Monty!
Born on the 3rd of June – sharing a birthday with his Mum, Sofia, the pup is doing really well. As Sofia’s second pup, she has been much more confident and Monty has already been out and about and even been for a swim in the pool.
Keepers report that the pup is reaching all of the expected milestones and has wasted no time in introducing himself to the rest of the group, including his Dad, Casper.
Tom Wootton of the presentations team of Welsh Mountain Zoo commented: “We are delighted with how well the pup fits in to our breeding group. As Sofia’s confidence grows, so does pups. They do benefit from us keeping an eye on things, but Sofia is a great Mum and everyone is doing really well!”
Although not currently threatened in the wild, it is important to highlight that marine mammals face many threats – a key one being pollution. Tom added: “Over time our oceans have become progressively more polluted with plastics, and this is having an overbearingly negative effect on marine habitats across the globe. Now more than ever, it’s so important to shop sustainably and take any action we can to keep our oceans pollution free.”
Sea Lion mums give birth to one pup typically during the summer months. At birth, Sea Lions weigh around 13-20 pounds, but they gain weight rapidly during pupping season. Pups will stay with their mothers for four to six months before they are weaned and able to forage on their own.
