A $20,000 reward is offered after a sea lion was shot to death on a California beach

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Federal authorities this week offered a $20,000 reward for information about the fatal shooting of a sea lion in Southern California over the summer.

The injured sea lion was discovered Aug. 7 between two lifeguard stations at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The animal, about 2 years old, died the next day and an examination revealed it had a gunshot wound to its back, NOAA Fisheries said in a statement Wednesday.

The agency said its law enforcement division is offering the reward “for information leading to a civil penalty or criminal conviction” in connection with the shooting.

The federal Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits the harassment, hunting, capture or killing of sea lions and other marine mammals. Violators can face criminal penalties, fines and the confiscation of any vessel involved in the incident.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact NOAA.

Sea lions live along the west coast of the US and can sometimes be seen on beaches, docks, jetties and buoys.