Southern Sea Lion colony in Patagonia at all time high

Press Release dated: Tuesday, January 20, 2004

Recent reports from the World Land Trust reserve in Patagonia, document an incredible increase of 300% in Sea Lion numbers in less than three years.


The New Year has brought exciting news from World Land Trust (WLT) partners, the Fundación Patagonia Natural (FPN). The Sea Lion numbers at the Estancia la Esperanza reserve are now at an all time high. The colony, established around the same time as the reserve, has increased from 35 individuals in February 2001, to 105 individuals recorded in December 2003.

The Southern Sea Lion (Otaria byronia) is found throughout the Patagonian coastal region, and is a magnificent animal. Males grow up to almost eleven feet long and weigh up to 300kg with females up to eight feet long and up to 144kg in weight. However, the Southern Sea Lion has been a victim of the fur trade in the past, which caused a significant decline in numbers on individuals and in their range. Today, although it is illegal to kill Sea Lions in Argentina, numbers are still declining due to human disturbance such as commercial fishing.

In light of this, the recent colony expansion at Estancia la Esperanza is incredibly important, and shows that under adequate protection Sea Lion populations can flourish. The Estancia La Esperanza reserve, located in the buffer zone of the Valdes Peninsular in Patagonia, was set up specifically for this purpose. Consisting of 15,000 acres of coastal steppe habitat, the reserve provides a refuge for the Southern Sea Lion, as well as numerous threatened species, such as the Southern Right Whale, Guanaco, Elephant Seals, Puma, and Geoffroy's Cat.

If you would like to contribute to the future of the La Esperanza reserve and ensure that wildlife such as the Southern Sea Lion continues to flourish, please make a donation to the World Land Trust. It really is that simple. Urgent funds are needed to develop the existing farm buildings to provide accommodation for researchers and visitors. This will allow the reserve to eventually become self-funding, ensuring the continue protection of this precious resource. Further information can be found on the World Land Trust website or by contacting the WLT office via email or by calling +44 (0) 1986 874 422.

Thank you for making a positive contribution to Patagonia's wildlife.


For more information, contact: John Burton
CEO
World Land Trust
jab*at*worldlandtrust.org (To avoid spam, we cannot show the email address in full. Please replace *at* with the symbol @ in your email address field.)
Web site: http://www.worldlandtrust.org

 
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