Rescued California sea lion returned to the wild

A sea lion suffering from a shark bite wound was successfully returned to the ocean Christmas week by a marine rescue center in the San Francisco Bay area.

The subadult male sea lion was rescued in mid November and received treatment at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California. The sea lion, dubbed 'Jenya', received five weeks of treatment and rehabilitation for a severe shark bite wound, domoic acid poisoning and malnutrition, according to a statement from The Marine Mammal Center.

Jenya's health steadily improved during the rehab period, and he gained back 25 pounds during treatment, according to the statement.

Once the sea lion regained full motion and weight distribution on his left front flipper last week, he was released back into the wild along a beach in Marin County, California on December 24.

(Image credit: AP)