A delinquent sea lion has found the perfect pal…another male sea lion called Sunny with a disposition to match.
Californian sea lion André earned the affectionate pseudonym ‘the ASBO sea lion’ at his former home Chessington World of Adventures, where he just didn’t get on with the rest of the group.
His behaviour was so disruptive he had to be re-homed at The Cornish Seal Sanctuary, where thankfully he struck up a much more amicable relationship with Patagonian sea lions Noito and Diego in 2009.
This was always considered a temporary arrangement, however, as the sanctuary team believes its residents should have companions of the same species.
“That’s why we were really excited to learn about Sunny, an 18-month-old Californian sea lion who would eventually have been one mature male too many among the sea lions of Wuppertal Zoo in Germany,” said animal care head Tamara Cooper.
“He was named for his placid personality and we suspected he’d be the perfect foil for all-action André.”
So it proved when the two were finally introduced to each other this weekend.
“They’ve become instant best friends, and André can stay in touch with Noite and Diego too. They’re right next door,” said Tamara.
Just on the off-chance that Sunny occasionally needs a break from his lively new pool-mate, however, the Sanctuary team has created a special annexe he can escape to.
“So far, it looks like they’re going to become inseparable,” Tamara added.
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