The San Francisco Zoological Society and The Marine Mammal Center announced in April that blind sea lions Silent Knight and Henry will be permanently housed with the San Francisco Zoo. The hope is that two pinnipeds will make their debut in May in the refurbished sea lion exhibit, near the zoo’s South American Tropical Forest building.

Silent Knight is the sea lion that was rescued on Dec. 8, 2010, in Sausalito, California. When found, he had severe head trauma and his right eye was destroyed, due to what appeared to be a gunshot wound. The Marine Mammal Center says that Silent Knight is doing extremely well, but he is completely blind and cannot be released into the wild.

“This is the best possible outcome for Silent Knight,” said Tanya Peterson, executive director and president of the San Francisco Zoo. “The Zoo and the Center have always worked collaboratively when it comes to meeting the needs of animals that are injured, nonreleasable or require short-term housing. The main goal is always the same … to preserve the life of these beautiful animals.”
The San Francisco Zoological Society is working with the Marine Mammal Center on the logistical arrangements necessary to transfer Silent Knight and his companion, Henry. Additionally, zookeepers visit the duo weekly to learn and better understand their personalities and conduct target training exercises.

“We’re extremely pleased that Silent Knight and Henry will receive a permanent home at the San Francisco Zoo,” said Jeff Boehm, executive director at The Marine Mammal Center. “We hope that Silent Knight’s story of how he came into the Center’s care, with significant shotgun wounds to his face and eyes, will highlight the occurrence of these horrific crimes and ultimately inspire people to care more about these animals, and inspire greater stewardship of their ocean home.”

The zoo will host a debut event once Silent Knight and Henry have moved and settled into their new home. Additionally, the zoo has set up a fundraising campaign to help assist in the housing and care for these two wonderful animals. Donations can be made online at www.sfzoo.org. For current updates and information on Silent Knight, please visit the Marine Mammal Center’s website at www.tmmc.org.