By NBC News and msnbc.com staff:
“At least eight sea lions have been found shot to death in the Puget Sound region in recent weeks, wildlife officials say.

The bodies of seven sea lions were recently found on the Nisqually River, south of Tacoma, all apparently shot, NBC station KING 5 of Seattle reported.”

“State and federal authorities are investigating, but they said they don’t know who killed the sea lions. The penalty could range from fees to possible jail time.

California sea lions are a protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Stellar sea lions are a federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.”