PRESS BULLETIN
Galapagos National Park Service

53 SEA LIONS FOUND DEAD ON PINTA ISLAND:
THE GALAPAGOS NATIONAL PARK COMMUNICATED
INITIAL RESULTS OF AN INVESTIGATION


On January 2, as part of an ongoing campaign to control and eradicate feral goats, park wardens of the Galapagos National Park (GNP) visited the islands of Floreana, Isabela, Santiago and Pinta. On the island Pinta, located approximately 100 miles from the park headquarters on the island of Santa Cruz, the wardens reported the sighting of a large number of dead Galapagos Sea Lions in an advanced state of decomposition.

Although groups of scientists and GNPS staff have visited Pinta five times in the last six months, this is the first report of an irregularity on the island.

As a result of the report received from the wardens the GNPS initiated an official investigation into the deaths on January 8th.  The evidence to date shows that the probable cause of death was trauma to the skull as 96% of the 53 bodies found had cranial fractures; this rules out the possibility of death by natural causes or disease. None of the bodies bore evidence of skin cutting or mutilation of organs or extremities.

In spite of the advanced state of decomposition, 9 adult males, 6 adult females, 25 immature sea lions and 13 pups were identified.

The GNPS has filed a report with the Galápagos Judicial Authorities and requested a full investigation to establish criminal responsibility for the deaths.

On January 25th, the Galapagos National Park in conjunction with the Charles Darwin Foundation initiated aerial and boat based surveys of the archipelago to verify the status of other colonies of Galapagos Sea Lions in the islands.