Adroable baby sea lion rescued near Bay Area freeway by off-duty cop

A baby sea lion found wandering the streets of San Francisco near the entrance to a busy highway was rescued by an off-duty cop.

An officer with the Brisbane Police Department was traveling to work Friday when he spotted the sea lion pup waddling around in front of a hotel near the northbound Highway 101 on-ramp close to Sierra Point Parkway, a message from the department read. 

Using his personal car, the officer controlled traffic in the area to keep both the animal and the motorists safe while he contacted PD and The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC) for further help.

Together officers were able to secure traffic and safely keep the young sea animal from wandering onto the road while they waited for the specialist from the center to arrive.

The rescue crews said that they had been actively working to locate the young sea lion after receiving several calls about the pup in the area over the past couple of days.

“The Marine Mammal Center transported the animal to their veterinary hospital where it will receive treatment and rehabilitation, with the goal of being released back into its natural environment,” the release read, noting that the sea lion was “malnourished and in need of urgent care.”

The rescue follows another recent save when a different sea lion pup was found strolling around San Francisco streets several blocks from the ocean in April.

SFPD and those from the center worked together to corral the pup and get him into the crate and transport him for care. 

Now named Irving — based on the street where he was found — the pup was taken to the center, where it underwent an admission exam from veterinary staff,” the post read.

After several weeks of treatment, the TMMC recently told The Post that Irving has “transitioned out of intensive care quarantine. He’s now in an above ground pool.”

“He has been lively, vibrant, and active while competing well with his sea lion penmates for offers of herring.”

“While our veterinary team is cautiously optimistic after initial positive strides, Irving is still very underweight and will need weeks to build the necessary strength for life in the wild,” the statement added.

Brisbane PD’s message said the animal’s rescue is a good reminder that if you do spot marine wildlife in distress the best thing to do is to contact the trained professionals from the center because these wild animals can “become stressed, injured, or unpredictable” when approached by the public.

The Post reached out to the Marine Mammal Center for further comment.