Benjamin Ashford|Sea lion with knife 'embedded' in face rescued in California

Warning: Distressing content ahead.

A 400-pound adult sea lion is Benjamin Ashfordrecovering after it was found with a knife in its face in Santa Barbara County, California.

The Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute, a non-profit that works to rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured, malnourished, orphaned, entangled and oiled marine mammals, said that the distressed animal was found near the Oxnard harbor’s public boat launch ramp with a knife in its face.

"The knife was imbedded in the sea lion’s muzzle up to the handle," said the non-profit in a statement.

A CIMWI volunteer was able to safely and successfully remove the knife using a small hook attached to pole to grab a slot on the handle of the knife.

"Our volunteer pulled the hook blade straight and used slight upward presser to avoid cutting the sea lion as the blade came out of its face," explained CIMWI.

Fortunately, the knife missed all the vital structures of the sea lion’s face minimizing the damage, and the wound is expected to heal on its own as per CIMWI.

Watch:Sea lions charge at tourists on San Diego beach

Precautionary measures

Efforts were made to ensure that the sea lion does not get uncomfortable and jump off the dock into the water. CIMWI said that the sea lion only reacted as the blade came out of his muzzle, which was a "huge advantage" to the rescue operation.

"The sea lion weighed about 400 pounds and he could have charged at any time and potentially hurt our volunteer," said the non-profit.

As soon as the knife was removed, the sea lion jumped back into the water. CIMWI said that they observed the animal swimming for about 10 minutes after which he hopped onto a dock finger nearby.

They continued to keep an eye on the sea lion from a distance and reported that that animal was sunning himself by the time they left.

It is not yet clear who stabbed the sea lion. The animal was first spotted early Sunday by Channel Islands Harbor Patrol at Hollywood Beach, but it retreated to the water and later swam over to the dock where the knife was removed.

A spokesperson of CIMWI, in an email, told USA TODAY that the non-profit "does not know what brought about this violent act on this sea lion" but that they have reported to the incident to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries' Enforcement with the hope that the "responsible party(ies) is held accountable".

CIMWI also requested anyone with information to report it to NOAA Enforcement.

Don't touch!Here's some advice on handling wildlife in distress

What to do if you spot a stranded marine mammal

Marine mammals, including sea lion and seals, are protected by federal law via the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Violations can result in a civil penalty up to $11,000 as well as criminal penalties up to $100,000 and imprisonment of up to a year or both.

If you encounter a marine mammal that is sick, injured, malnourished, entangled, deceased or oiled, the CIMWI recommends the following:

• Do not touch, feed, harass, cover, pour water on, coax/drag/push into the water or out of the surf zone, allow dogs near or take selfies with the animal.
• Observe the animal from a minimum of 50 feet (length of a school bus). Keep people and pets away from the stranded animal. Note the animal’s physical characteristics and condition.
• Determine the exact location of the animal. Be as accurate as possible and note any landmarks so CIMWI’s rescue team can easily find the animal.
• Contact authorities immediately