Cute sea lion pup jumps 'right into back seat' of California Highway Patrol car after alert that the animal was wandering on San Francisco highway
- The Highway Patrol got a call saying the wayward pup was loose near the SF exit
- Drivers turned on warning lights and tried to herd the animal out of harms way
- When officers arrived the pup happily jumped into the back seat straight away
California Highway Patrol officers were called to an unusual traffic incident, picking up a baby sea lion from the busy Route 101 highway in San Francisco.
CHP office assistant Maria Quirarte got the call around 8.30 am on Tuesday saying: 'Uh, there's a sea lion on the 101' near the San Francisco exit.
She dispatched a patrol car through the rush-hour traffic to pick up the lost marine mammal.
This sea lion pup was picked up by California Highway Patrol officers on the Route 101 near the San Francisco exit after they received a call
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Before the officers arrived, drivers tried to help by herding the pup out of the traffic lanes, according to the CHP's facebook page.
One driver truned on his warning lights while another used his handkerchief to try to shoo the animal out of harm's way.
When the patrol car arrived, an officer only had to open the back door and the the sea lion 'willingly jumped right into the backseat,' the CHP said.
The young sea lion pokes its head out of the California Highway Patrol car rear window after being picked up from the Route 101 highway in San Francisco
The pup seemed no worse for wear, but was taken to the Peninsula Humane Society to be cared for, authorities said.
'Aww, we saved a sea lion today,' Quirarte said later.
