Officials at the Seneca Park Zoo and Monroe County are announcing the birth of a California sea lion pup at the zoo.
It was born earlier this week to 7-year-old Marina, and the gender will be determined by staff as the pup develops.
The sea lion pup will spend time bonding with its mother during the next few weeks. Seneca Park Zoo participates in the Association of Zoo and Aquariums Species Survival Plan for the California sea lion and has successfully raised four pups to date.
This program aims to sustain genetically diverse populations of the sea lions which face environmental threats from pollution and the fishing industry.
Marina came to the Rochester zoo in 2011 from a marine mammal care center after being stranded on a beach in California. This is her second pup to be born at the Seneca Park Zoo. Her first, P.J., was born in 2013 and moved to a zoo in South Carolina as part of a breeding recommendation.
The Seneca Park Zoo is home to two other California sea lions, Boomerang, a 10 year old male, and Lily, a 7 year old female.
