If You Walk on Four Legs It's OK

Last month we noted how coyotes were responsible for decapitating baby seals. No action is being taken against the culprits, although "coyotes are not threatened or endangered in California" and estimates of the population range between 250,000 and 750,000.

I suppose the killing of baby seals by coyotes is regarded as just the natural order of things. What is not part of the natural order is the killing of seals by humans.

The government is above anthropomorphizing seals to
get your sympathy (CA Fish & Wildlife--Bodega seals)

Headline: Authorities investigating sea lion beheading offer $20K in rewards

Federal authorities are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information about who may have decapitated a sea lion that was found on a Bodega Bay beach on Christmas Day...

An eyewitness told law enforcement that they saw a man decapitate the dead sea lion using a black 8-inch knife, place the head in a clear plastic bag and then ride away on a black fat-tire e-bike, NOAA Fisheries Public Affairs officer Rachel Hager confirmed to SFGATE in an email. The suspect is described as being approximately 30 to 40 years old, dressed in all black.

Sea lions, like all marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits the harassment, hunting, capturing or killing of these animals. Violating the act can result in hefty fines and even jail time.

Despite their protections under federal law, California sea lions continue to face threats from human interactions. In October, a man in Monterey was caught on video whipping sea lions with caution tape, causing them to stampede down a ledge along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. The NOAA previously confirmed to SFGATE that it was investigating the incident for harassment.

Earlier that month, a 2-year-old sea lion was shot on Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County. The sea lion was taken to a rescue center, where it later succumbed to its injuries and died. NOAA spokesperson Michael Milstein previously confirmed to SFGATE that sea lion shootings are a regular occurrence in California, with an estimated 20 killed each year.

Your humble blogger could point out that the logical conclusion of the new hierarchy of values is that coyotes have more rights than human beings (who can't kill or even "harass" seals) or that seals have a greater right to life than human fetuses (whose killing is not a crime in California), but that would not change the mind of any one who subscribes to the new values.

Maybe we can agree that what's happened to English grammar is abominable? "An eyewitness told law enforcement that they" avoids using "he" or "she" but clearly can't be "they" because there's only one eyewitness. "They," however illogical and grating, was chosen to avoid the toxic masculinity of the "he" in traditional English.

By the way, I do agree that some action should be taken against the man who decapitated the seal, especially if he killed the animal. If it was dead already, then public exposure IMHO would be sufficient.