One 33 year-old female California sea lion housed at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana displayed progressively inconsistent training, inappetance, weight loss and complications of chronic eye disease in the fall of 2008. Medical management failed to resolve these problems, the eye conditions significantly worsened, and an enucleation procedure was performed in January 2009. An anesthetic protocol was performed that included the following: premedication with butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg), midazolam (0.2 mg/kg) and medetomidine (0.01 mg/kg) administered intramuscularly; induction with isoflurane in oxygen via facemask; intubation with a 14 mm ID endotracheal tube; and maintainenance with isoflurane (1.5 - 2%). Ventilatory assistance and fluid administration were provided. Parameters monitored during anesthesia included the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, blood chemistry, body temperature, and anesthestic depth. The animal was extubated, and short-term recovery from anesthesia was uneventful.