$5K Reward for Sea Lion Killer

Lifeguards call it a first

(NEWSER) - A sea lion bit a pair of swimmers in Venice Beach last night, in what lifeguards say may be the first case of such an event occurring in the area. KTLA reports that a woman was bit on the leg around 6:30pm; her husband came to her aid, only to be bitten on his hands, feet, and head. The pair, both in their 60s, was treated at a hospital and released. In other frightening California beach news, a two-mile stretch of Mission Beach was closed in San Diego after a great white shark was spotted . More»

California man hears noises, finds visitor on 2nd-floor deck

(NEWSER) - A California man who heard noises outside his apartment investigated and found himself nose-to-snout with a baby sea lion—on his two-story building's roof deck. "I think, maybe this guy can be my friend?" blogged Mike Kai . "Maybe he can live in my bathtub like the 1994 classic movie Andre? We'd hang out all the time and people would respect us. If they didn't we would escape on a wild adventure..." More»

(NEWSER) - Cops near San Francisco made an unusual rescue today on a local expressway: They saved a wandering sea lion, the Chronicle reports. After a brief chase, they corralled the 30-pound confused critter, probably only about a year old. The sea lion, named Moody in honor of a fallen officer, is malnourished and will get a physical and a good meal before being released back to the ocean. More»

He 'looked confused,' says manager

(NEWSER) - A sea lion found wandering near a runway at Oakland International airport was taken yesterday to a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The six-foot male, nicknamed "Saps" by wildlike workers, didn't appear to be sick or injured. "He seemed kind of lost and it was kind of odd, the way he was looking at us," said the airport manager. More»

Money troubles don't stop conscience from winning out

(NEWSER) - When Eli Estrada found $140,000 in unmarked bills sitting in the middle of the road, he thought he was rich. “That’s just your first reaction,” Estrada tells the Los Angeles Times, “but it’s not yours, and you feel nervous… like you did something wrong.” So the 40-year-old landscaper, deep in debt and supporting his mother, took the money directly to police. More»