Sea Lion Pup Found Wandering San Francisco Streets
- Rescuers found a young sea lion pup wandering around San Francisco streets and are currently evaluating its condition. - It's unknown why the pup was away from its usual habitat; no injuries were reported at discovery. - Marine mammal rescue organizations will assess needs before potential rehabilitation or release ( patch.com ).
A California sea lion pup turned up on a San Francisco sidewalk before dawn on April 16, several blocks from Ocean Beach. (marinemammalcenter.org) The pup was found near 48th Avenue and Irving Street in the Outer Sunset, and officers from the San Francisco Police Department, park rangers, and a responder from The Marine Mammal Center took part in the rescue. (marinemammalcenter.org) The Marine Mammal Center later said the animal, now called Irving, is about 10 months old and was severely malnourished at roughly half his expected weight. Staff said he was still active and “quite feisty” after arriving at the center’s hospital. (localnewsmatters.org) Rescuers think Irving likely came ashore at Ocean Beach and kept moving inland through the neighborhood overnight. The center said young sea lions can strand when they are sick, underweight, or separated from normal feeding grounds. (kqed.org) California sea lions are common along the state’s coast, but they are usually seen on beaches, buoys, docks, and offshore haul-out sites rather than on city corners. San Francisco residents are used to seeing sea lions at Pier 39, not at a residential intersection in the Sunset District. (abc7news.com) The Marine Mammal Center, based in Sausalito, runs a hospital that treats stranded seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales, and sea otters along 600 miles of California coastline. Its responders tell the public to stay back, keep dogs away, and call trained rescuers instead of trying to move marine mammals themselves. (marinemammalcenter.org) Irving is now being evaluated to see whether he can recover enough for release back into the wild. For now, the pup that wandered onto Irving Street is off the pavement and back in marine-mammal care. (marinemammalcenter.org)
