By IANS
Quito (Ecuador) : Rangers of the Galapagos national park have discovered seven dead cubs of the highly threatened sea lion on the San Cristobal Island, Spanish news agency EFE reported Thursday.
The carcasses bore cut marks and windpipes had been ruptured, according to a report, which blamed the deaths on roaming dogs.
Park management, police environmental crime unit and other agencies have launched an operation to capture the three dogs suspected of the killings.
Earlier in July, carcasses of eight endangered tortoises were discovered on the Island, which were killed by poachers. The three adult females were over 80 years old.
On June 26, Unesco declared the Galapagos Islands a World Heritage Site in danger, citing widespread environmental degradation.
The Ecuadorian government, which had already sounded an alert on the threats to the Galapagos, said, the islands’ inclusion on the Unesco list provided an opportunity for the international community to help Ecuador protect highly endangered species of the marine animals.
The law here prohibits hunting, capture and trade of endangered flora and fauna.
The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 km west of Ecuador. They served as a natural laboratory that inspired English scientist Charles Darwin to develop his theory of evolution, natural selection and the origin of species.