Motorists spot sea lion on busy California highway, video goes viral

An onlooker, who was driving on the route, told the media, “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Soon, the first responders reached the intersection and sought help from Sea World that rescued the stranded sea lion. Jim Bettencourt, a CHP Media Information Officer, shared a tweet with a picture of the lost animal.

The sea lion was directed off the road and then captured safely. As of now, the animal is being assessed before eventually being returned to the ocean. Experts are still wondering how the marine animal was found so far away from the ocean on the freeway.

WATCH: Our photojournalist @anamariarphoto was on the scene as rescuers from @SeaWorld helped save a sea lion that found its way onto the state Route 94 and state Route 15 highway interchange east of downtown San Diego today. Full story here: https://t.co/jyljoP66Vn pic.twitter.com/aR11YuwgXc

— San Diego Union-Tribune (@sdut) January 7, 2022

This little guy somehow made it to the 94 and 15 this morning. Our officers are there standing by waiting for @SeaWorld to come to the rescue. pic.twitter.com/n7dUJzZKwg

— Jim Bettencourt (@jimb16149) January 7, 2022

Despite their cute looks, sea lions can be dangerous. Their bite can cause significant injury, therefore, a sea lion’s presence near human settlements can put both the animal and humans at risk.

In December last year, a male Bison, weighing around 900 kilogram, had strayed into the market in Sangli, Maharashtra before it was rescued by a joint team of members of the civil society, forest officials, and the local administration.

With boundaries between natural and urban areas getting blurred, more and more wild animals are being spotted near human settlements.