Sea lion saunters across Rosecrans Street in Point Loma

SAN DIEGO — SeaWorld rescued a rogue sea lion after she crossed a busy street in Point Loma. Though strange, the sea lion appeared to be healthy and not in distress – in fact, she seemed to enjoy herself as she relaxed and scratched herself in the street after stopping traffic.

A SeaWorld Animal Care Specialist, Heather Armentrout, told CBS the sea lion, a 160-pound female, looked “pretty alert” and was eating plenty of live and frozen fish. SeaWorld also provided the sea lion with her own private pool, eventually planning to release her back into the ocean once it is clear she is doing well.

Armentrout also mentioned there had been reports the sea lion had climbed onto a hotel veranda and fallen off, but the animal seems to be in strong condition.

Sometimes, sea lions can become “stranded,” which typically occurs when a sea lion becomes sick or is injured.

According to International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), finding a sea lion on land is not always a sign it is in need of help, but can be.

IFAW’s website states: “Seals that are seen on land are not necessarily stranded or in need of help. Seals are semi-aquatic, which means they spend part of their lives on land and part in water. Seals haul out on land to rest, to get warm and dry, to molt, and to give birth.”

IFAW added approximately 10 percent of stranding causes are due to human interference such as harassment and illegal deterrents.

There looks to be no clear answer as to why the sea lion chose to move in the opposite direction of her home in the ocean, but in a happy turn of events the sea lion sure ate up the attention – and delicious fish – at the SeaWorld center.

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