Three seals found shot dead on Central Coast

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Three northern elephant seals were found shot dead Saturday morning at the Point Piedras Blancas elephant seal colony near San Simeon, Calif., the Times’ David Pierson reports.

The three seals -- each about 1,000 pounds and between 2 and 5 years old -- were discovered shortly before 9 a.m. by a docent conducting a seal count on the beach. They had been shot in the back of the head.

‘They were found in a pool of blood,’ said Leander Tamoria, supervising ranger at San Simeon State Park. ‘People come here to see the sights, and this is a sight no one wants to see.’

Because the seals were so heavy, officials from the California Department of Fish & Game had to remove the animals’ heads to investigate what kind of bullets were used, Tamoria said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction, said Special Agent Roy Torres.

Anyone with information about the shootings should call Torres at (831) 647-2127, the Office of Law Enforcement hot line at (800) 853-1964 or California State Parks at (805) 927-2068.