Family discovers an unexpected animal napping on their porch: a seal pup

You never know what kind of animal you might find right outside your doorstep. Recently, one family got quite a surprise after a very unexpected animal wandered far from home and decided to take a nap on their porch.

According to a Facebook post from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, a family in Wellington discovered a seal pup outside their home last week, curling up for a cozy nap on their porch:

“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 wrote.

“It’s not every day you come home to find a seal curled up on your front porch.”

The creature is a New Zealand fur seal, or kekeno. Despite the name, they are not true seals, and are more closely related to the sea lion.

It’s not uncommon for young seals to pop up like this during this time of year: May through September is known as “seal silly season” in New Zealand, when young pups and adult males leave their colonies.

These seals like to explore the wider world during this period, and locals often find seals in the roadways, public spaces and even their homes.

But the Department of Conservation stresses that this is normal and that the seals should to go about their business without much intervention: “They might look skinny or sick, with weepy eyes and a cough, but this is normal – seals are very resilient animals,” they wrote on Facebook. “Seals need rest, not rescuing.”

However they also said that if a seal is on your property, injured or in danger, it’s best to call the department. In the case of this sleepy porch seal, an officer arrived and relocated it to a safer location away from dogs and traffic.

Related Posts

I WALKED INTO COURT IN MY SEAL UNIFORM, MY FATHER CHUCKLED, MY MOTHER SHOOK HER

  I took a deep breath and met the judge’s gaze head-on. “Your Honor,” I began, my voice steady though my heart raced, “I am here today…

When the hospital said my newborn was gone, my mother-in-law whispered cruel words, and my sister-in-law agreed…

When the hospital said my newborn was gone, my mother-in-law whispered cruel words, and my sister-in-law agreed. My husband turned away in silence. Then my 8-year-old son…

A motel maid notices a young girl entering the same room with her stepfather every

  Inside the dimly lit room, a small lamp cast eerie shadows against the walls. Angela could make out the man, Daniel Harper, sitting at the edge…

When a Birthday Present Sparked a Moment of Concern

On my daughter Emma’s eighth birthday, I wanted nothing more than a joyful, simple day. The kitchen was filled with balloons, heart-shaped pancakes, and her laughter as…

At my daughter’s wedding, my son-in-law ordered me to hand over the keys to my

My heart drummed fiercely as I hung up the phone. The person I had just called was Brian Mercer, a name I hadn’t had any reason to…

I arrived at my sister’s house without warning and found her curled up asleep on the doormat, dressed in torn, filthy clothes…

I arrived at my sister’s house without warning and found her curled up asleep on the doormat, dressed in torn, filthy clothes. Her husband casually wiped his…