Sea lions bound for Gladys Porter Zoo killed

Four sea lions that were slated to come to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville for a permanent exhibit were shot and killed near the Washington-Oregon border over the weekend.

The zoo had volunteered to take in six sea lions from the Columbia River to stop them from being killed. Some animal advocates and fishermen have declared sea lions to be a nuisance in the Columbia River because they prey on the Chinook salmon that travel upriver to spawn.

Oregon and Washington were given the federal government's permission to euthanize several sea lions, but the Humane Society of the United States stepped in and won and injunction until a hearing scheduled later this month.

Several zoos and animal parks agreed to take in the salmon-eating animals. Employees from the Gladys Porter Zoo left for Washington last week to bring in its six, which were contained in humane traps.

On Sunday, six sea lions were found dead, including the four bound for Brownsville.

Zoo officials said Monday they weren't sure if they would still bring back a group of sea lions. State officials have put a hold on trapping the animals until they find out more details about the deaths, they said.

For more on this story, see Tuesday's Brownsville Herald.