A 900-pound female elephant seal who seemed determined to cross a busy state highway in the San Francisco Bay Area last week gave birth over the weekend, according to the Point Reyes National Seashore.
The pregnant seal was first spotted trying to cross State Route 37 south of Sonoma on Monday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Marin Office.
Authorities used a variety of approaches to try to coax the stubborn mother-to-be into open water, but she continued her attempts to cross the highway, the CHP reported.
Barbie Halaska, a research assistant at the mammal center, told the San Francisco Chronicle: “She’s a 900-pound elephant seal. She pretty much does what she wants.”
Finally, the seal was sedated and relocated to Point Reyes, where on Saturday she gave birth to a pup, the National Seashore stated in a Facebook post.
“The birth was seen from the Elephant Seal overlook at Chimney Rock,” the post stated.