Scary video of sea lion dragging girl underwater is why you shouldn't mess with nature
If you think sea lions are the cutest, you might think again after watching this absolutely terrifying video of a young girl being dragged underwater.
The mobile video, shot by college student Michael Fujiwara in Steveston Harbour in Richmond, British Columbia, shows a massive sea lion swimming and grabbing bread that someone threw into the water.
At one point, it hops up from the water really close to a little girl, who was kneeling near the dock's edge.
The animal suddenly leaps from the water, grabs the girl's dress and drags her into the water.
A man, believed to be a relative, immediately dives into the water and pulls the girl to safety, unharmed.
"They were pretty shaken up," Fujiwara told CBC. "Her family were just in shock."
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Andrew Trites, the Director of UBC's Marine Mammal Research Unit, said the sea lion probably thought the girl's dress was food.
"My first reaction to the video is just how stupid some people can be to not treat wildlife with proper respect," he said. "This was a male California sea lion. They are huge animals. They are not circus performers. They're not trained to be next to people."
Bob Baziuk, the general manager of the Steveston Harbour Authority told CNN they've ben warning visitors not to feed animals for years.
"It's not Sea World, it's a place where you buy fish," Baziuk said. "If you feed the animals like this you're asking for trouble.
A reminder that nature is unpredictable and it's probably not a good idea to give breadcrumbs to wild animals.
