Everyone has some days that turn out in a way we never expect. It may be a beautiful sunny day that you have a perfect plan for yourself or a hazy morning supposedly passing with mundane tasks. Suddenly, fate interferes, and that day becomes one of the most memorable days in your life.
That was exactly what happened to officer Roger Pereira on a Tuesday morning at work. Everything went on normally until he got a call informing him about the tiniest offender on the busy US-101, just south of San Francisco.
The call was so odd that he thought it was a prank or mistake. “I was skeptical there would be an actual sea lion on the freeway,” Pereira recalled. “Upon arrival to the scene, sure enough, there was a baby sea lion on the freeway.”
The 10-month-old sea lion held the traffic for a while before getting a helping hand from a few Good Samaritans. “They were standing next to it making sure it did not walk into the lanes of traffic,” Pereira said. “I was in shock and could not believe my eyes that I was actually looking at a sea lion on such a busy freeway.
The 30-pound sea lion seemed not aware of the trouble he had made. In contrast, the baby looked quite pleased with the new experience in his life. “Even with all the loud noise of vehicles passing by and all the people around him, the sea lion was very calm and curious about what was going on,” Pereira said.
Officer Pereira had to apprehend the trespasser, but without handcuffs, of course. He stopped his patrol car near the marine mammals and kept the passenger door open. Everyone was stunned by the sea lion’s reaction.
“The moment the door opened, the sea lion jumped right into the back seat of the patrol vehicle,” Pereira shared, “without needing any type of motivation.”
The curious baby was attracted by the car immediately, and he didn’t hesitate to show his satisfaction with this new experience. “The sea lion loved the car ride,” Pereira said. “It did not make any noises or make any erratic movements in the back of the patrol vehicle. The sea lion was very well-behaved.”
The officer left the little sea lion at the nearby Peninsula SPCA for a health examination. The animal was then brought to The Marine Mammal Rescue Center, where the vet confirmed he was healthy with only a minor cut on his flipper.
“Kid likely separated from his mother early and wasn’t quite ready to forage appropriately on his own,” Dr. Cara Field, staff veterinarian at The Marine Mammal Center, remarked. “Although a bit malnourished, this sea lion pup is very active and feisty so we’re hopeful with immediate supportive care that he makes a full recovery.”
Let’s hope this little kid could get back into the wild as soon as possible- far enough from morning traffic! Have you ever been stuck in traffic due to a lost animal? Share with us your story in the comment, and subscribe to our site for more interesting news and ideas!
