Alaska SeaLife Center Announces Birth of Male Steller Sea Lion Pup
March 6, 2015

Seward, AK – July 28, 2014– The Alaska SeaLife Center is pleased to announce the birth of a male Steller sea lion pup at 12:14 pm on July 20, 2014. Fourteen-year-old mother, Eden, and the pup are healthy and doing well. The pup’s father is 21-year-old Woody, the Center’s iconic male Steller sea lion.

Eden is a very attentive mother and the pup has been successfully nursing. The pup’s first weight came in at 37.7 pounds (17.1 kg). The pup is not expected to be available for public viewing for a few months. 

Eden and Woody are no strangers to the pup-parent spotlight.  They became parents last summer when Eden gave birth to a female pup on June 20, 2013. Eleanor (“Ellie”) marked the first Steller sea lion pup born in North American collections since the mid 1980s. At thirteen months old, Ellie now weighs 166 pounds (75.5 kg) and has learned to eat fish and follow basic commands from her trainers. 

Eden and her two pups are part of a study focused on maternal care by female Steller sea lions, as part of the Center’s research to better understand this endangered population. “The Steller sea lions at the Center play an important role in our understanding of wild sea lions. We are learning about hormone cycles, pregnancy detection, and pup care,” said Dr. Lori Polasek, ASLC Marine Mammal Scientist and University of Alaska Fairbanks Research Assistant Professor.  “This study has application for population recovery by determining pregnancy rates and pupping success in wild animals.”

The Alaska SeaLife Center is a private non-profit research institution and visitor attraction, which generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems.  The Alaska SeaLife Center is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. For additional information, visit www.alaskasealife.org.

Research described is conducted under National Marine Fisheries Service Permit No. 18534.  Permit language may not be cropped from photos. 

 

 

 

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