Police in San Rafael, Calif., responded to reports of an "otter" near an intersection, but they arrived to find the animal that crossed the road was actually a northern fur seal pup. Photo courtesy of the San Rafael Police Department/Facebook
"'Ivy' was located after she flapped across the roadway narrowly avoiding being hit by several cars," the department said in a Facebook post.
The department said northern fur seals are typically found 600 miles off the coast and live their lives at sea.
Police contacted the Marine Mammal Center and volunteers responded to the scene to collect the seal.
"Ivy will spend some time under care at the center," police said.
