Young sea lion nicknamed ‘Sierra’ was found wandering near a busy Bay Area roadway early Tuesday morning. The juvenile female was discovered by a commuter who initially thought she was a dog. Then the animal barked. And waddled. And smelled distinctly of fish. The commuter called police, who arrived to find Sierra confused, dehydrated, and far from any body of water. She was at least a mile inland, dodging rush hour traffic.

Authorities believe Sierra became disoriented after swimming up a storm drain or creek. Young sea lions sometimes follow bait fish into unfamiliar waterways. When the tide goes out, they get trapped. Sierra likely traveled through an underground drainage system and emerged near the roadway. She had no visible injuries but was clearly exhausted. Animal control officers used a net and a blanket to safely capture her. She did not go quietly.

Sierra was transported to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito for evaluation. Veterinarians found her to be underweight but otherwise healthy. She was dehydrated and stressed but responded well to fluids and rest. The center named her Sierra after the location where she was found. She will remain in rehabilitation until she regains her strength. Then she will be released back into the ocean, hopefully with better navigation skills.