| CHILE: ROGUE SEA LIONS INVADE THE STREETS OF VALDIVIA |
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| Written by Jonathan Mascitelli | |
| Thursday, 28 June 2007 | |
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Ill-tempered sea lions weighing up to 450 pounds have emerged from the river and taken to the streets of the southern Chilean city of Valdivia, blocking the paths of cars and busses and annoying local residents. The locals call them “porfiados,” or “stubborn beasts.” Since last summer, at least 37 of the bullying mammals have taken a liking to Arturo Prat Avenue, a main street directly paralleling the Valdivia River.Curious passers-by have been urged to keep their distance, as sea lions are known to be dangerous and territorial; in previous years, there have been four incidents of people being bitten. Some residents have even taken to carrying wooden sticks to keep the mammals at bay or chase them back into the water. In April, experts from the Austral University of Chile (UACH) decided to enact a stair-stepped plan to get rid of the nuisance. The first stage – already begun – is to install an 80-meter restraining bar on the east side of the Pedro de Valdivia Bridge. This leaves a single boat docking area as the sea lions’ only means of entrance onto land. Public workers are stationed at fixed points near the boat dock from eight in the morning until six in the afternoon. Each time the sea lions attempt to claim territory on land, these workers rush forward wielding padded, wooden sticks to chase the animals back into the water. Still, the sea lions roam free on the streets throughout the evening hours until dawn, when a truck arrives to wet down the cement and disperse the heat the mammals seek, causing them to return to the river. “All day we chase them away from the street,” said one worker. ¨Some are bigger than others, but with a tiny white cloth on the point of a stick, we can scare them away.” Despite its crudeness, the plan’s first stage has proved effective. The next phase will be installation of a new platform located on the north bank of the river, near the city’s cultural sector. The platform is scheduled to be complete by September. These preventative measures are not a final fix to the problem. A long-term plan involves construction of a large platform simulating their natural habitat, said experts at the Austral University. Additionally, scientists plan to install electronic chips designed to monitor the sea lions´ habits and monitor the presence of disease. SOURCE: LA TERCERA By Jonathan Mascitelli ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) |
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