Patrons at a California bar located along Newport Pier were stunned to see a young sea lion pup entering the establishment last week, as if prepared to slide up to the bar and order a drink.
Alas, sea lion pups aren't tall enough to reach the bar stools, nor do they possess the proper identification, as bartender Todd Garbella gleefully pointed out.
"We card everyone - even sea lions," he jokingly observed.
"So this sea lion walks into a bar …" http://t.co/cBfKnJA6Gf via @JillCowan cc @darth pic.twitter.com/PARhasoqDT
— J. Freedom du Lac (@jfdulac) May 21, 2015
— J. Freedom du Lac (@jfdulac) May 21, 2015
"They didn't want him to wander in and bite anyone," Garbella explained.
Sea Lion returns everyday to meet her rescuers and take rest after being out to the sea pic.twitter.com/ydWtluk8mh
— Animal Life (@AnimaILife) May 20, 2015
— Animal Life (@AnimaILife) May 20, 2015
Mary Beth Steen, director of development for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, noted that when sea lions do wander ashore, they can, at times, find themselves in strange places. Several weeks ago, another sea lion pup named Rubbish made headlines when it wandered the Marina district of San Francisco, as SF Gate points out, before it was taken by police to the center. Surprisingly, the sea lion had been rehabilitated there before, attaining its name during its first stay in February, after it became stranded in Santa Barbara.
California lawmakers propose harsher penalties for animal cruelty http://t.co/H5qrFRg0JC pic.twitter.com/99fvX7rRVR
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) May 21, 2015
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) May 21, 2015
[Photo: Mike Glenn via the L.A. Times]