Sea lion pup rescued by California deputies a quarter-mile from ocean

Authorities in northern California rescued a sea lion pup that waddled about a quarter-mile from the ocean.

Mendocino County sheriff’s deputies patrolling Highway 1, south of Fort Bragg, spotted an animal moving slowly in dark, dense fog on Sunday. They discovered the animal was a sea lion pup weighing about 20lb with a tag attached to its front flipper.

The animal was friendly with the deputies, rubbing against their legs for attention.

Deputies contacted the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, and officials there identified the pup from the tag as having been released from their rehabilitation center. The seal lion was found to be healthy.

It then climbed into the back of a patrol car, and deputies drove it back to the ocean.