An adorable sea lion pup was rescued in San Francisco on Thursday, April 16, after wandering several blocks inland, away from its usual habitat.
Footage by local resident Maria Goodavage shows the pup hanging out by a utility pole on Irving Street near Ocean Beach, where rescuers guided the young animal into a crate to be transported to a care team.
The cute sea lion has since been named Irving after the street.
Goodavage told Storyful her partner John Zwolinski made the discovery when he “heard strange barking outside.”
“Expecting maybe a lost dog, he instead found a California sea lion pup who had trekked three full blocks inland from the ocean,” she said, adding, “It quickly became a full neighborhood village effort” involving the the Marine Mammal Center and San Francisco Police Department.
“Several officers were on the scene in no time,” Goodavage said. “I knocked on the door of my wonderful neighbor, Katie Young, a longtime Marine Mammal Center volunteer. She happily rose to the occasion and expertly guided the mission.”
“As of now, it’s unknown why Irving was away from their usual habitat,” the Marine Mammal Center said.
“The pup will receive an admission exam from our veterinary experts this week to determine sex, evaluate their condition, identify any underlying ailments, and better assess long-term future outlook.” Credit: Maria Goodavage via Storyful