Lost sea lion pup found wandering streets of San Francisco

A sea lion pup found itself in an unfamiliar spot, strolling around San Francisco several blocks from the ocean.

The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department said that in the early hours of Thursday morning their park rangers encountered officers with the San Francisco Police Department who had responded to a call of a sea lion who had wandered out of the ocean and was strolling the block near 48th Avenue and Irving Street, a Facebook post read.

In a video obtained by The Post, the sea lion pup can be seen just sitting right there on the street corner with officers and lights flashing nearby.

A person who lives in the neighborhood said that it was just after midnight when he looked outside his kitchen window after hearing what sounded like a sea animal and there the sea lion pup was.

Not wanting him to get run over, he called several animal rescue centers but they were all closed, so he decided to call SFPD.

“So we’ve been here waiting until a team assembles to get the little guy rescued,” the eyewitness explained.

“With help from San Francisco Police Department officers, a nearby Marine Mammal Center volunteer, and Park Rangers Follin, Smith, Lawli, Wannamaker, and Gerstbacher, the pup was safely placed in a crate provided by the Ocean Avenue Veterinary Hospital and taken to our ranger station to await transfer,” the post read.

Video captured a large number of officers struggling a few times to corral the pup and get him into the crate, but they eventually got him so that the animal could be taken to a vet for care.

The animal has since been named Irving based on the location of where he was found.

“Now named Irving, the pup is in the care of The Marine Mammal Center, where it is receiving an admission exam from veterinary staff,” the post read.

“We’re grateful to our park rangers and SFPD, whose interdepartmental coordination, quick thinking, and compassion helped rescue Irving. “

A spokesperson for the center said it is unclear why “Irving was away from their usual habitat.”

“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, ” a spokesperson told KTVU.

The Post reached out to the Marine mammal center and the SF Recreation and Parks Department for further comment.

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