Pregnant seal still trying to cross the highway

The California Highway Patrol had quite the traffic disturbance when the 500-pound seal reportedly tried to make her way over a highway divider.

The seal story broke Monday at about 1 p.m. when drivers called to report the huge animal was in a highway lane, apparently trying to cross Highway 37 near Sears Point.

For two days, researchers with the Marine Mammal Center have been trying to coax her away from Highway 37 and out to San Pablo Bay, but she fought them tooth and nail, with an emphasis on tooth. Barbie Halaska from the Marine Mammal Center told ABC 7 that the seal may be about to give birth, saying, “If she is about to give birth that means she is in her prime”. Using a blood test and an ultrasound they also confirmed that she’s pregnant, according to the Marine Mammal Center.

The seal did not appear to want to move.

3 p.m. (AP) – A wayward elephant seal in Sonoma County is still swimming in an area near a highway and apparently looking for another chance to cross the road.

Barclay added that the elephant seal had “a lot of weight behind her and a lot of muscle”.

He said she was successfully brought to the bay at one point, but kept wandering back onto land.

CHP Officer Andrew Barclay helped corral the 900-pound mammal into the estuary Tuesday, where she seemed content. “So we’re really afraid that when it gets darker later on she might become a big speedbump”.

“What we’ve seen is she’s obviously still trying to get out of the water”, Barclay said.

Barclay said officers checked on the animal throughout the night, making sure she hadn’t gotten into the roadway.

Officials are giving the elephant seal another 24 hours to desist in her efforts.

Wildlife officials monitored her overnight while she slept, and as of this morning she was back in the water, swimming around.