Underwater attacks by biting sea lions are responsible for injuring or killing nearly a dozen brown pelicans off the Central Coast of California since last week, state wildlife officials said Wednesday.
Until now it had been a mystery what was causing the seabirds to appear along the coast near San Luis Obispo with gaping puncture wounds to the chest.
California Department of Fish and Game biologists took several of the dead pelicans to a laboratory in Santa Cruz to undergo necropsies. The examinations showed their wounds were caused by sea lion teeth.
Officials think the sea lions have been attacking pelicans -- which compete for food -- if the birds get in the mammals' way as they seek bait fish close to shore. Game wardens at one point interviewed a kayaker who said he witnessed a sea lion grab a pelican, drag it underwater and release it with a bite wound.
"It's sheer chaos" when a group of birds and underwater animals feed on bait, said Fish and Game patrol Lt. Todd Tognazzini. "It becomes a frenzy."
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