From the LA Times
A
$5,000 reward is offered for information in the killings of the
animals, protected under the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act.

By David Pierson

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
5:09 PM PDT, May 3, 2008

Three
northern elephant seals were found shot dead this morning at the Point
Piedras Blancas elephant seal colony near San Simeon, Calif., five
miles north of Hearst Castle, authorities said.

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."

The shootings come
during molting season, when hundreds of seals station themselves on the
beach without eating or drinking for a month to shed their skin. The
three killed were believed to have been on the beach for two weeks,
Tamoria said.

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.

"I've
seen animals shot out in the water wash up on shore, but never on this
site," said Torres. "This is a special sanctuary for them. These are
completely helpless animals. It's just egregious what happened to them."

Elephant
seals are protected under the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act, which
makes it illegal to harass, shoot or feed them. Violating the law can
result in fines up to $20,000 and imprisonment.

Tamoria said the
colony attracts up to a thousand tourists a day. Police and advocates
for the seals have been concerned in recent months that the animals
have been moving too far inland and endangering themselves in traffic.
Last year, a male seal named Lucky took a culvert to the Hearst Ranch
property and stayed for 10 days.

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

david.pierson@latimes.com