A wild wanderer caused quite the spectacle in Ocean Beach as he moved from car to car for refuge, before settling underneath a vehicle that said “to Protect and Serve.”
“There was a baby sea lion crossing the street," Sgt. Jack Knish said.
Officers got the call from concerned citizens at about 4 a.m. Wednesday that the pup was roaming around outside Nick's at the Pier on Abbot Street.
“He’s just been looking for a place to hide. He’d waddle out to the middle of the street and then a car would come by,” said Ocean Beach resident Bill Higgins.
When an officer arrived, he tried to cajole the pup towards the ocean but it scurried for refuge -- underneath the officer’s patrol car that was parked in the middle of the street.
“Oh it’s hilarious. He loves the cops, I love it,” Ocean Beach resident Breezy Hudman said.
The ordeal drew a pretty big crowd.
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“When I first got here, there were about six cars here, six police cars… so this guy’s getting a lot of protection,” Higgins said.
City officials called Sea World, who got on scene just before 8 a.m. and captured the little guy.
“Oh he’s adorable. It’s sad too, because he shouldn’t be here,” Higgins said.
SeaWorld officials said the sea lion seemed a little dehydrated, but had a good attitude and growled at them.
They will give him a full assessment to make sure he’s okay and release him back into the wild when they think he’s ready. The process may take anywhere from a week to several months.
