Seal Found in California Resident’s Front Yard Was Supposed to Be in Alaska
— -- This seal pup is really lost.
The 9-month-old northern fur seal is supposed to be in Alaskan waters right now but was recently found in Fremont, California, according to its rescuers.
The seal was seen crossing Oswald Road in Fremont on Thursday morning, according to Fremont Police Department spokesperson Geneva Bosques.
"We got a call from a resident saying she needed assistance because there was a seal trying to cross the road," Bosques told ABC News. "Two patrol officers and an animal service officer responded and found the little [seal] on the other side of the road in someone's front yard near a bush."
The officers nicknamed the pup "Ozzie" after the street she was found on, but they soon found out the pup's real name was Kumofer, according to a responder from The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC). It turns out this isn't the first time she's been rescued.
"Upon closer inspection, the responder discovered that the seal had an ID tag on its flipper," TMMC public affairs specialist Laura Sherr told ABC News in a statement.
Kumofer was originally rescued last November after she was found stranded and malnourished on a beach in Capitola, California, according to TMMC's head veterinarian Dr. Shawn Johnson, who is currently overseeing her care.
Earlier this month, Kumofer was released in Boedga Bay, California. She was supposed to join about 100 other seals traveling north to Alaska, Johnson said.
But instead, it looks like the pup traveled over 100 miles south to the middle of Fremont, he said.
Though Kumofer appears to be "visually active and bright," she's "very emaciated," Johnson said. The center will be conducting various physical exams to make sure she doesn't have any hidden wounds or infections.
Once Kumofer puts on more weight and is deemed healthy, the center will be able to evaluate if and when she will be released back to the wild, Johnson said.
The doctor said it's important for people not to approach animals in distress and to call for help. The Marine Mammal Center's 24-hour hotline is 415-289-SEAL.
