Sea Lion Pup Found Wandering SF Streets
- A lone sea lion pup was discovered wandering San Francisco streets, away from its usual coastal habitat. - Rescuers located and are evaluating the pup's condition while determining why it wandered into urban areas. - Marine mammal responders will decide on rehab or release, highlighting concerns about wildlife in the city (patch.com).
A California sea lion pup turned up on a San Francisco sidewalk before dawn on April 16, several blocks from where rescuers would expect to find him. (nbcbayarea.com) San Francisco police officers and Recreation and Parks rangers responded around 1:30 a.m. near 48th Avenue and Irving Street in the Outer Sunset, close to Ocean Beach. A trained responder from The Marine Mammal Center joined them and helped get the pup into a carrier. (abc7news.com) The center said the animal is a 10-month-old California sea lion pup now named Irving, after the street where he was found. He was taken to the center’s Sausalito hospital for an admission exam and medical care. (marinemammalcenter.org) California sea lions normally haul out on beaches, docks and rocky shoreline, not inland residential blocks. Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson for The Marine Mammal Center, told KQED the pup likely came ashore at Ocean Beach before moving into the neighborhood. (kqed.org) Young sea lions can wind up alone when they are sick, malnourished or separated from their mothers, and responders use exams to sort out which problem they are seeing. The Marine Mammal Center said veterinarians are evaluating Irving for underlying health issues before deciding on rehabilitation and release. (marinemammalcenter.org) The rescue came during a stretch when Bay Area residents have seen more marine mammals close to shore and, in some cases, in trouble. KRON4 reported the pup was found about one block from Ocean Beach, a reminder that a wrong turn from the surf can quickly become a police call in a dense neighborhood. (kron4.com) Irving is not the first sea lion pup to stray into an urban setting this year. In January, another California sea lion pup was found in a Mountain View parking lot and taken to the same Sausalito hospital for rehabilitation. (abc7news.com) For now, the immediate question is simpler than how Irving got there: whether he is healthy enough to go back to the ocean soon. That decision will come after the Sausalito hospital finishes its evaluation. (marinemammalcenter.org)
