Elephant seal determined to cross California freeway sedated

In this photo provided by the California Highway Patrol, wildlife experts from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito attempt to corral an elephant seal that repeatedly tried to cross a highway, slowing traffic in Sonoma, Calif., Monday, Dec. 28, 2015. CHP spokesman Officer Andrew Barclay says callers first reported the 500-pound mammal was trying to climb the divider wall of Highway 37 near Sears Point in Sonoma. He says U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service crews and CHP officers managed to usher the adult seal back into the San Francisco Bay. But it got back out of the water again at least twice. (California Highway Patrol via AP) In this photo provided by the California Highway Patrol, wildlife experts from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito attempt to corral an elephant seal that repeatedly tried to cross a highway, slowing traffic in Sonoma, Calif., Monday, Dec. 28, 2015. CHP spokesman Officer Andrew Barclay says callers first reported the 500-pound mammal was trying to climb the divider wall of Highway 37 near Sears Point in Sonoma. He says U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service crews and CHP officers managed to usher the adult seal back into the San Francisco Bay. But it got back out of the water again at least twice. (California Highway Patrol via AP)

By Associated Press December 30, 2015 2 min read

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Rescue crews in Northern California tranquilized a wayward seal that snarled traffic for two days by trying to cross a highway several times.

A veterinarian using a pole-mounted tranquilizer sedated the 900-pound elephant seal Tuesday, and at least 12 people loaded the unconscious animal onto a tarp and then brought it to a waiting truck.

Officials planned to examine the pinniped and then take it to Point Reyes, where they’ll release it back into the wild, the San Francisco Chronicle reported (http://sfg.ly/1Ufz9Kt ).

Before the seal was tranquilized, a rescue worker in a kayak used a bullhorn to yell at the animal and try to scare it back into open water, but that effort failed.

The Marine Mammal Center and the San Pablo Bay National Marine Sanctuary first dispatched rescue teams Monday after receiving reports of a seal blocking state Route 37.