Veterinarians are working to save Southern California's starving sea lion pups that are increasingly being washed up on local beaches.
The sea lion pups being washed ashore are typically about 20 pounds, though at their ages they should be about 60 or 70 pounds, reported CBS News.
To get them back to their normal weight so they can survive in the wild, the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, Calif., is feeding about 200 sea lion pups through feeding tubes. Many of the rescued sea lion pups are also suffering from pneumonia, parasites and other infections, reported CBS News.
It's believed that the unusually warm waters are deterring the fish that are usually swimming about that the pups feed on (typically sardines and anchovies), Dr. Shawn Johnson, the director of veterinary science at the Marine Mammal Center, told CBS News.
Once the sea lions are back to eating normally they will be released in northern California waters where it will be easier to find food, CBS News reported.
