One of our newest additions at the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois is a California sea lion pup. Since his birth on June 10, the male pup and his mom, 9-year-old Josephine, have been bonding behind the scenes. In addition to bonding, Josephine is also teaching her pup to swim. They are expected to have access to their outdoor habitat by mid-July.
California sea lion pups weigh between 13 to 20 pounds at birth, and typically are born in the months of June and July. For the first few weeks of life, they stay in tidal pools until they are able to swim and can go to sea with their mothers. They nurse for at least five months and sometimes for more than a year. In the wild, after giving birth, mother sea lions will leave their offspring for a short time while they forage at sea. As the pups grow stronger, the mothers leave them alone for longer periods. Mother sea lions recognize their pups through smell, sight, and vocalizations.
For more information, see: https://www.czs.org/Brookfield-ZOO/Home.aspx or view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUAaHGsFKsA