West Edmonton Mall announced the passing of Clara, their beloved California sea lion, at the age of 30. Clara was born at a zoo in England and later moved to a safari park in Scotland before arriving at the mall’s Sea Lions’ Rock area 20 years ago.
As Clara aged, the mall’s care team adapted her care, installing ramps and a mobility sled in the pool, and using audible targets instead of visual ones to accommodate her decreasing vision and mobility. The mall described Clara as “sweet, gentle and nurturing, but also strong and decisive,” and noted that she was known for her beautiful backflips and for teaching younger sea lions.
In honor of Clara, the mall is inviting people to make donations to the non-profit wildlife rehabilitation centre Hope for Wildlife. The mall’s marine life team, which includes veterinarians, animal health technicians, and animal care staff, provides daily physical examinations and voluntary medical procedures for the animals in their care, as they have been cared for by humans their entire lives and would not be able to survive in the wild.
