Galapagos Rapid Response Stories
The videos below offer a glimpse into the lifesaving work carried out by the World Vets team alongside the Galápagos National Park Rapid Response Program on San Cristóbal Island. Working together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our teams respond to wildlife emergencies whenever they arise—day or night.
Operating under an official agreement with the Galápagos National Park, World Vets provides veterinary expertise and emergency response for injured and distressed wildlife throughout San Cristóbal. While the majority of our calls involve Galápagos sea lions, our team is trained and equipped to respond to all types of wildlife calls, including iguanas, giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and a wide variety of other birds. Together, World Vets and the Rapid Response Team have responded to more than 1,500 wildlife cases across the Galápagos Islands.
One of the most common threats facing sea lions is marine debris. Discarded fishing lines, ropes, fishhooks, plastic, clothing, and other human-made materials can become tightly wrapped around a sea lion’s neck, body, or flippers. Without intervention, these entanglements can cause severe injuries, infection, starvation, and even death.
Approximately 30% of the wildlife emergency calls received this year have involved entangled animals, underscoring the ongoing impact of marine pollution on the fragile Galápagos ecosystem.
These videos show several successful rescues in action as our team carefully frees sea lions from dangerous entanglements. The final video captures a different kind of emergency—a young sea lion trapped between rocks and unable to escape on its own. After assessing the situation, the World Vets team safely rescued the animal and returned it to freedom.
Each rescue represents a second chance for these remarkable animals and demonstrates the value of having a dedicated veterinary response team ready to act whenever wildlife is in need.
World Vets is grateful to the SeaWorld Conservation Fund and our other generous donors who make this important work possible.
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