You never know what kind of animal might be standing outside your door. One family received quite the surprise lately when a very unexpected animal wandered far from home and chose to take a nap on their porch.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation announced on Facebook that a family from Wellington discovered a seal pup outside their home last week, snuggled up on their doorstep for a peaceful nap:
“It had been on a bit of a mission, climbing up the seawall stairs, crossing a road, hiking up a footpath, a driveway, and finally another set of stairs, before reaching its nap spot,” the Department of Conservation stated.
“It’s not every day that you return home to discover a seal curled up on your front porch.”
The creature is a kekeno, a type of fur seal indigenous to New Zealand. Despite their name, they are more closely linked to sea lions than to seals.
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It’s common to observe newborn seals presenting in this way at this time of year: The period from May to September, when adult male seals leave their colonies with their young pups, is known by New Zealanders as “seal silly season.”
These seals prefer to travel great distances at this time, and locals often find seals in their homes, on public highways, and even in public spaces.
The Department of Conservation notes that this is normal and that the seals should be able to subsist mostly on their own. “They might look skinny or sick, with weepy eyes and a cough, but this is normal – seals are very resilient animals,” the person wrote on Facebook. “What seals need is rest, not rescue.”
However, they suggested contacting the department if you found a seal on your property injured or in danger. This sleepy porch seal was transported by a police officer to a safer location away from cars and dogs.
Such a cute little seal! Just think about how shocked you would be to find it outside your front door!
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