A sneaky sea lion was caught on video as it led mall staff on an exhaustive chase around a shopping centre when it escaped the entertainment area where it was kept.

Stunned shoppers watched as the sea lion evaded capture by its carers and other employees at the mall in, Luoyang, in Henan province, China, on June 8.

Footage shows the giant mammal running left and right trying to dodge its captors.

Staff struggled with carrying metal barriers trying to block it from running into the crowds.

Crowds watched as the sea lion ran past stores and was eventually cornered in front of a burger shop, then safely guided into a cage.

Meanwhile, security guards did their best to keep bystanders at bay to avoid triggering the approximately 600-lb animal's aggression.