A mother sea lion mourns the death of its baby in this heartbreaking footage.
The upsetting clip shows the bereaved mammal trying to nudge the lifeless cub awake, while letting out howls of distress.
The sea lion had reportedly given birth to the pup prematurely and it did not survive.
The video was filmed on a beach in La Jolla, San Diego, by Andrea Else Hahn, who says the mother had stayed with her baby’s body overnight.
“It’s the same puppy as yesterday, she’s still with her baby,” says Andrea, who posted the footage on Facebook .
“All I can do is draw attention to this, sweetheart,” she adds.
The mother is then seen lying forlornly next to her dead cub.
Zooming in on the mother’s face, large wet stains can be seen around her eyes.
“She is crying,” Andrea says.
The sea lion lets out howls of anguish (Photo: Facebook/Andrea Else Hahn)
Writing a caption on her video, Andrea, a wildlife campaigner, said: “We humans have a tendency to think that we are the only animal who grieves the loss of a son or daughter.
“This heart breaking video, showing a sea lion who lost her baby, should be a waking call to us all.”
It’s currently pupping season along the Pacific coast, a time when thousands of sea lions deliver their babies on the beaches.