Welcome, Bruiser!

The Central Park Zoo welcomes a new California sea lion pup to the pool. “Bruiser,” as he’s named, was born at the Bronx Zoo last year. After a brief stay at the New York Aquarium, he’s finally made his home in Central Park, joining fellow sea lions April and Scooter. He spends most of his time exploring his home, a representation of his wild habitat on the West Coast.

Bruiser is cute and weighs in at a mere 90 lbs., but he’s packing on two to three pounds a week. Adult male sea lions can weigh as much as 900 lbs., so this little guy has a lot of growing up to do.

Zookeepers say Bruiser is an active pup, and has even started to take part in basic sea lion enrichment and training. Keepers train the sea lions in specific behaviors that make it easy to give them a basic exam to ensure they are healthy and in tip-top shape.

Visitors are invited to see Bruiser, April and Scooter during their enrichment sessions at 11:30 a.m., 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. daily. But be warned: Those in the front might get splashed.

Updated: 5/03/2010