This past Veteran’s Day weekend the Zoo honored all veterans including   LB, our male California Sea Lion who came to the Zoo on March 5, 2013.

Prior to moving to El Paso LB was a part of the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific at the US Navy’s research, development test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support center in San Diego, California.

During his two years of service LB was trained for covert placement and removal of explosives from anything underwater.   He was trained to identify certain ship hulls, piers, docks and submarines.   Sea lions were used because of their intelligence to recognize and take direction, speed in the water and strength to remove an ordinance as well from US vessels and structures.

LB was honorably discharged from the US Navy in June of 2006 mainly because he was too timid.   Today he is an ambassador for the conservation of our oceans.   His presence at the El Paso Zoo reminds all of us of our connections to the ocean and the entire ecosystem and how each of us can make a difference in how we live our lives in helping to protect our planet by avoiding single use plastics that are seriously impacting ocean food chains and by purchasing fish that are from sustainable sources and are ocean friendly.