Veterinarians at the center are focusing on keeping the roughly 150-pound animal stable before conducting exams that may help reveal why it wandered toward the highway in the first place, center spokesman Jim Oswald said today.
Animal rescuers received reports around 7 a.m. Saturday that a sea lion had crossed the north and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 before stopping in a ditch on the side of the roadway.
Now, Oswald said the sea lion -- which staff members have named Broadway Bound for its trajectory toward the Broadway off-ramp yesterday -- is still agitated.
In addition to treating the animal for trauma to its jaw, Oswald said veterinarians would likely conduct exams on the animal tomorrow to help shed some light about how it came to be on the roadway, as well as revealing the animal's sex.
The sea lion could be suffering from toxic algae poisoning, which can cause seizures and disorientation, Oswald said.
Animal rescuers were still unsure about how the animal came ashore, but Oswald said it most likely came ashore via a nearby lagoon.
