The marine population at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium has just ballooned by one, with the public debut of Pepper, a California sea lion pup born on June 6 that has made quite the splash. Point Defiance announced the addition, with Pepper's adorable swimming lessons and steady growth tipping the scales at 31 pounds.
Curator Jen DeGroot oversaw Pepper's introduction to her aquatic comrades behind the scenes, ensuring smooth social waters, and it seems they've taken to each other like fish too, well, you know, with DeGroot confirming that Pepper is "fitting right in," as per King5.
One doesn't need to fish for compliments when it comes to Pepper's mothering by Eloise, who, at 160 pounds, is showing her little one the sea lion ropes, which aren't innate to sea lion pups, they have to learn how to swim, and according to DeGroot, Pepper has been a "keen observer of Eloise and is a fast learner," as Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium highlighted.
Pepper's parents, Eloise and Boomer, are no strangers to human help, having been rescued and brought to the PDZ in July 2019. Now, they watch their progeny become a zoo celebrity, fresh from a public naming contest in which Pepper outshone other finalists Rosa, Marnie, and Nori to claim her spicy moniker, which was covered by KING5.
