Sigmund, mobile employee of Redwood Shores

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor

Carol Montgomery-Adams, VP Corporate Marketing

The iPass corporate headquarters is located in Redwood Shores, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Peninsula. We look out between two sloughs and a wildlife refuge, and are part of the Pacific Flyway. As residents of this unusual Silicon Valley location, we very much appreciate our surroundings and have a sense of social responsibility for our natural environment.

So, what better way to kick off our Mobile Worker Wednesday, than a story about a local “mobile employee.”
His name is Sigmund and he is a Harbor Seal who takes his mobility very seriously, as a resident member of the “Redwood Shores Fish Patrol.”

Sigmund has been delighting us and dogs alike, visiting us daily at the dog park. He has chosen to make his evening home at the dog park and interact with its human and canine visitors. He has become very un-seal like, posing for pictures (former circus entertainer?) and has been seen going nose-to-nose with the dogs, also uncommon behavior.

However, the time came for intervention as human and seal were getting a bit too close for health and comfort. Sigmund’s survival could be at risk. After all, cute or not, he is a wild animal!

So, sadly, but rightly, with the help of an iPass employee and her Westie, Teddy, local officials have decided that Sigmund will be safer and better off with his own kind and a few care giving marine researchers, near Pt. Reyes and came yesterday to start his journey.

Sigmund, however, had other ideas. In spite of much cajoling and nets-in-hand, he got the objective quickly and chose to have none of it. Not so fast!

The saga continues. We will keep you posted.

Meanwhile, enjoy this series of videos about Sigmund’s summer visit:

• Introduction to Sigmund
• Sigmund posing for the Photogs
• Sigmund assessing the situation
• Reassessment: Seal 1, Captors 0
• Interview with Marine Mammal Center