Giovanni

Giovanni or Gio, (born spring 2008) is a male California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) formerly on display at the Birmingham Zoo's Sea Lion Pool.

Giovanni and Farley, an unrelated sea lion, were often found on the shore in Sausalito, California looking for food. They were tagged, fed, and rehabilitated by the Sausalito Marine Mammal Center before being returned to the wild. After their third release, it was determined that they could not support themselves. They were subsequently given a home at the Birmingham Zoo in 2010.

In 2023 the zoo decided to close its sea lion exhibit permanently. As part of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums' California Sea Lion Species Survival Plan. Gio and Farley were transferred to the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center at the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts.

References

• "Meet the New Sea Lions!" poster (n.d.) Birmingham Zoo - accessed November 11, 2010
• Garrison, Greg (April 17, 2023) "Birmingham Zoo plans shutdown of Sea Lion Habitat." The Birmingham News