Sea lions ‘Farley’ and ‘Gio’ welcomed to new their new home at Boston’s New England Aquarium
Two west coast sea lions are now making their home on Boston’s waterfront. The New England Aquarium says it has welcomed Farley and Giovanni to its Marine Mammal Center.
Farley and Gio came to Boston after a zoo in Birmingham, Alabama had to close its sea lion exhibit. The California sea lions are both 15-years-old.
They join three other sea lions who already make their home in Boston. The pair of sea lions traveled to Boston on a FedEx flight in June and spent the last few months building relationships with their new trainers before transitioning to the exhibit space, according to the NEAQ.
“We keep layering on complexity as the animal gets more comfortable. Desensitization is the most important component of healthcare for animals and ensures our sea lions thrive in human care,” said Kristen McMahon, Curator of Pinnipeds and Penguins at Aquarium.
All of the California sea lions now at the Aquarium are rescued animals that were unable to return to the ocean, according to the aquarium.
Farley and Gio stranded on California beaches twice in 2009 and were deemed unable to return to their natural habitat after undergoing care at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, according to the NEAQ. The animals then moved to the Birmingham Zoo through a recommendation by the California Sea Lion Species Survival Plan.
“Farley spent almost 15 years living with one female sea lion, so we have taken a gradual approach to acclimating him to a habitat with four females,” said Patty Leonard, the Aquarium’s Assistant Curator of Pinnipeds. “During that process, Farley has worked with multiple trainers on our staff, who are reinforcing socially appropriate behaviors.”
“We are very excited for the addition of a male sea lion and an additional female sea lion,” said McMahon, “Farley and Gio are at the perfect age to socialize with our resident sea lions, and we feel that this will not only be very enriching for all five of the sea lions but also align with our goal of providing the highest level of care for our animals.”
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