Sea Lion Disentanglement Videos
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.
World Vets completed its first small animal campaign in Corozal, Belize this week and sterilized over 300 cats and dogs! World Vets is privileged to provide veterinary care and compassion to animals in need around the world, as we help reduce overpopulation and improve the health and wellbeing of animals in communities like this one.
Since opening its veterinary clinic on San Cristóbal Island, World Vets has provided care for nearly 7,000 dogs and cats on the island, including thousands of spay/neuter surgeries that have improved animal health and helped manage the local pet population. In addition to surgery, every patient receives a comprehensive health examination and preventive care to help keep pets healthy long after they leave the clinic.
World Vets has been delivering free veterinary services for pets on San Cristobal Island for the last four years, with thousands of patient visits. Last week was our 18th intensive spay-and-neuter campaign in Galapagos, which provided sterilization surgeries for dogs and cats (including feral felines), health exams, dental prophylaxis, deworming, and a range of additional procedures.
World Vets completed another successful animal campaign last week, sterilizing 337 cats and dogs in Otavalo, Ecuador! Our volunteer team provided spay-and-neuter services, as well as health consultations, parasite control, and other veterinary care for the local pet population. World Vets sends appreciation to our long-time partner Bienstar Animal Imbabura (BAI) for their valuable collaboration in this recent event and their continued partnership over the last 16 years. We also give our gratitude to the volunteer teams and faithful allies and donors who support World Vets’ mission to improve the lives of animals around the globe.
World Vets, in partnership with Antigua Street Dogs Guatemala, provided free veterinary surgeries and medical care to hundreds of cats and dogs in and around Jocotenango and Antigua last week. By preventing thousands of unwanted litters through spay-and-neuter, we’re improving animal welfare while also strengthening community health through parasite control, disease prevention, and better care for both pets and people. This effort is part of our One Health commitment — protecting both animals and humans by reducing the spread of zoonotic diseases.
Meet Duque, a beloved dog from San Cristóbal in the Galapagos. His owner brought him to the World Vets small animal clinic after noticing something wasn’t right. During his exam, our veterinary team discovered a massive bladder stone on the x-ray—a painful and serious condition!
