Testy sea lion chomping on swimmers in SF park

[dajyde]

I didn't know this about seals.


Testy sea lion chomping on swimmers in SF park
POSTED: 2:22 p.m. EST, November 16, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- A California sea lion has bitten at least 14 people and chased 10 others out of the water this week at a public park's lagoon, prompting the city to temporarily close the area to swimmers.

No serious injuries have been reported, but officials decided to ban swimming at the Aquatic Park Lagoon on Wednesday until the testy marine mammal has moved on.

Experts say the rogue sea lion could be protecting his harem of mates or might have brain damage from toxic algae.

Celeste McMullin, who was bitten Monday, said she saw the animal lurking nearby but didn't think much of it.

"I was swimming along, and I felt a brush under my feet. And I thought, 'These feel like whiskers.' So I stopped, and the animal popped up. He/she looked at me."

McMullin then tried to swim away, but the sea lion followed, biting and bumping her continuously until she made it back to shore.

She ended up with six bites: two puncture wounds and four cuts.

Marine Mammal Center veterinarian Frances Gulland said the animal may soon leave the area and advised swimmers to avoid the lagoon in the meantime.

"The migration has started, and the animals are moving north to Washington state and Oregon," she said.

City health officials aren't recommending rabies shots, but victims were advised by the Marine Mammal Center to take antibiotics to ward off infection.

Aquatic Park Lagoon is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and not far from Fisherman's Wharf, where dozens of sea lions bask year-round on rocks below the pier and are a major tourist attraction.

[waltky]

Ken Burns gonna do another of his series...

PBS to air Burns' national parks series next year
Sun., July. 13, 2008 - Tom Hanks, Andy Garcia, John Lithgow among celebrity voices

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns' new series celebrating America's national parks and detailing their history will air in fall 2009, PBS said Saturday. "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," is a 12-hour, six-part film that traces the origins and growth of the national parks system over 150 years. The series will feature Burns' trademark blend of archival photos, interviews and what PBS called "breathtaking images" of the national parks system. Tom Hanks, Andy Garcia and John Lithgow are among the actors who lend their voices to historical figures in the series. The narrator is actor Peter Coyote.

Those who fought to preserve the parks saw in them a "visual, tangible representation of God's majesty," Burns said in a statement released by PBS at a meeting of the Television Critics Association. The series details the crass opportunism as well as the lofty ideals that became part of the national parks story, Burns said.

"The National Parks," produced by Florentine Films and public TV station WETA Washington D.C., is directed by Burns and produced by him and writer Dayton Duncan, who wrote a companion book for the series. Burns, among the nation's highest-profile documentarians since his series "The Civil War" created a sensation, has agreed to air his work exclusively on PBS until 2022, the network said last year. His other films include "The War," a 14-hour series on World War II, and "Baseball," an 18 1/2-hour series on the sport's history.

PBS to air Burns' national parks series next year - Television - MSNBC.com