West Edmonton Mall has announced the death of a sea lion that lived at the shopping centre’s Sea Lions’ Rock area.
“With heavy hearts, but joyful memories, we share the news of the passing of Clara, our much beloved California sea lion,” mall officials posted on social media Monday morning. “It is like losing a co-worker.”
Mall officials say Clara was 30 years old. According to a post on the website of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, California sea lions “live 15 to 20 years in the wild and average 25 to 30 years in human care.”
The mall did not reveal the cause of death but said Clara died peacefully at Sea Lions’ Rock. Sea Lions’ Rock is where the shopping centre’s sea lions perform for visitors. Global News has reached out to mall officials for more information and to ask how many sea lions remain at the shopping centre.
“In the last few years, Clara really started to show her age,” the mall’s social media post read.
“As her vision and mobility decreased in her twilight years, we adapted how we worked with her. From installing ramps and the Clara Cart (a mobility sled) in the pool, working with audible targets instead of only visual targets, and welcoming her into retirement, her care team worked tirelessly to provide her with every support and comfort possible.”
Mall officials said Clara was born at a zoo in England and later moved to a “safari and adventure park” in Scotland. Twenty years ago she made the journey to Edmonton along with two other sea lions: Kelpie and her younger brother Pablo. Kelpie was euthanized in February 2023 at the age of 28.
“Clara was so full of personality — she was sweet, gentle and nurturing, but also strong and decisive,” mall officials said. “In her younger years she was known for being the teacher — teaching young Quinty the ropes on how to be a sea lion, and patiently working with new trainers as we honed our own skills too.
“She was also known for her strength and grace in her beautiful, distinctive backflips through the pool. She was smart, and her trainers often joked that she could run through the entire sea lion presentation without any help from us.”
In honour of Clara, officials said West Edmonton Mall is inviting people to make donations to the non-profit wildlife rehabilitation centre Hope for Wildlife.
On its website, West Edmonton Mall says it is an accredited member of Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums and the National Marine Educators Association.
“WEM’s Marine Life enriches, engages, and reconnects people with nature while inspiring conservation,” the post reads. “We reach out to audiences through exhibits and animal programs, bringing information about our animals, their stories, and what can be done to help their species in the wild.
“Our conservation and education programs encourage respect and responsible management of all living creatures.”
The mall’s marine life team includes veterinarians, animal health technicians and animal care staff.
“Our staff participates in training programs with our animals. This training is not simply for entertainment — animals are taught behaviours that allow us to do in-depth medical checkups, such as X-rays and ultrasounds completely voluntarily.”
The mall says the animals that live at the shopping centre receive a physical examination every day and before any animal is used for a presentation or program. They are then examined again at the end of the day.
On the West Edmonton Mall website’s Marine Life page, it says the animals at the shopping centre have been cared for by humans all their lives.
“They have never been ‘wild’ and wouldn’t know how to survive if set free in their natural environment. The animals that live at Marine life have either come from rescue centres, private donations or were actively bred in other zoos or aquariums. Consequently, these animals have formed bonds (human imprinting) with their caretakers, making their chances of survival in the wild unlikely.”