From The Marine Mammal Center:
Astro Update

Astro, a Steller sea lion, was rescued from Año Nuevo Island in June 2006 as a pup after having been separated from his mother. He weighed just 39 pounds at the time of his rescue, but grew stronger and bigger at the center. In April 2007, veterinarians believed Astro was ready to return to the wild. He was released April 25 at Año Nuevo State Park, weighing in at about 185 pounds. A satellite tag was attached to his back to track his travels; however, Astro was reluctant to leave the beach and stayed with some young elephant seals nearby. So the center re-rescued him the next day and took him to the Farallon Islands – a place where other Steller sea lions live.

After his release, Astro stayed on and around the islands for about a week. It’s not known exactly why on May 8, Astro swam back to the mainland. The Marine Mammal Center re-rescued him and took him back to the Farallones, but Astro came back to Corte Madera two days later, finding his way to an elementary school, where a walk-a-thon was being held. Astro was once again rescued and this time, he was brought back to The Marine Mammal Center.

Back at the center, Astro spent several months eating and socializing with other sea lions while veterinarians and researchers formulated a plan for his future. Unfortunately, because of his failure to reintegrate into the wild sea-lion population, Astro would no longer be releasable back to his natural habitat. It is uncertain why Astro responded in such a way, as he was treated with the same protocols as other successfully released Steller sea lions at the center; however, sea lions have individual characteristics and respond in unique ways to treatment. One thing was clear– Astro, as an intelligent and curious animal, would not receive the stimuli he needed to keep him occupied at The Marine Mammal Center, where the facilities are geared toward treatment and release. Astro would need activities to keep his sharp mind active.

On August 7, 2007, Astro left The Marine Mammal Center at a whopping 252 pounds and was taken to UC Santa Cruz’s Long Marine Lab, where he is participating in training and metabolic rate and hearing research studies. Researchers at Long report that Astro is settling in well. He is eating almost 25 pounds of fish a day and seems to enjoy learning basic commands, responding to both verbal and whistle prompts. These skills will be necessary to ensure proper care for him as he has more contact with human caretakers in the future.

Astro will likely be transferred to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut this fall. As one of only five facilities in the world where Steller sea lions can be viewed, Mystic Aquarium has the specialized experience to care for Astro. Not only will he be in an environment with other Steller sea lions, but he will serve as a great educational subject to many people as they learn about the threatened species through him.