Sea lion found wandering along forest road ‘a significant distance’ from any water

A lone 600-pound sea lion was found wandering along a forest path far from any water, before being captured and successfully relocated to a river.

Officials received a call alerting them to the presence of a sea lion on a road in Washington state on Sunday, which was a ”significant distance from water”, according to a Facebook post by the Cowlitz County Sherriff’s Office.

The large mammal is thought to have travelled up a creek from the Cowlitz River before making its way inland.

A selfie posted on the Cowlitz County Sherriff’s Office’s Facebook page on Sunday shows one of its officers in front of the sea lion, which is described in the caption as an “unexpected road hazard”.

A YouTube video, posted on Monday by the Sherriff’s Office, shows staff from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) coaxing the animal into a trailer.

After capturing the sea lion, it was transported back to the Columbia River.

According to wildlife officials, the sea lion was released back into the wild successfully, swimming off without incident.

Becky Bennett, who works for the WDFW, told CNN: “While it isn’t uncommon for sea lions to be in the Cowlitz River this time of year with all the smelt, it was quickly determined this Steller sea lion, which are native to Washington, had taken several wrong turns.”