A 250-pound sea lion has been returned to the sea after being found at the side of a busy road - and experts have no idea how it got there.<br /><br />The male was shepherded across Route 94 eastbound by passers-by on January 7 in San Diego.<br /><br />California Highway Patrol was then alerted and staged a rescue with the help of SeaWorld’s Rescue Team.<br /><br />The sea lion reportedly acted aggressively toward its helpers, pulling itself in the direction of the oncoming traffic in defiance of its instructions.<br /><br />Rescuers then used nets to stop the marine mammal before transporting it by truck to a rescue centre for a health evaluation and recovery.<br /><br />This particular sea lion had been tagged prior to the rescue mission last month as he had shown up in strange locations since early November 2021.<br /><br />A spokesperson for SeaWorld said: "This sea lion captured the attention and stole the hearts of Americans nationwide, and SeaWorld is proud to provide a happy ending to this story. <br /><br />"The sea lion was accompanied by two other sea lions who were rehabilitated at SeaWorld San Diego and were ready to be returned at the same time. "<br /><br />Filmed 7th January 2022
