March 23--A 5-year-old boy was nipped in the face by a sea lion on the beach Sunday at La Jolla.
While on a family outing, the boy suffered a "minor puncture" to his jaw when he attempted to touch a sea lion at the La Jolla Cove, according to the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department.
The boy's father declined to have paramedics care for the wound but took the boy to a local hospital for examination.
With a record number of sea lions washing up on Southern California beaches, officials at Sea World San Diego have warned that people should never attempt to touch the animals, many of which are malnourished and emaciated.
The incident was reported to the National Marine Fisheries Service, whose job includes protection of marine mammals.
For all things news-related in San Diego, follow @LATsandiego on Twitter.
