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

The House Was Mine, and the Choice Was Mine..

Margaret Lawson, a 62-year-old widow, owned her four-bedroom home outside Columbus, Ohio, free and clear. For months, her son Daniel and daughter-in-law Vanessa pressured her to let…

She Went In for a Common Procedure—Then Tragedy Struck

A Georgia community is mourning the sudden death of Emersyn “Emmy” Bridgers, a young Euharlee Elementary School student who died on July 27, just days before she…

A 91-Year-Old Woman Called 911 Every Night

Every evening at precisely 9:03 p.m., the emergency dispatch center received the same call. The report always listed Margaret Lawson, age 91, and the complaint section remained…

The Backpack Revealed What They Never Expected

The police arrived within minutes, ordering everyone to step away from the bags and drawers. Tyler immediately started crying and insisting he had only been following Mark’s…

What does the handshake icon on a parking spot mean?? 🤔 ᅠ͏​͏

The first time I had to meet a stranger from an online sale, the experience felt tense and uncertain. Standing in a parking lot, holding cash and…

The House Was Never Hers

Richard explained that the house Patricia had spent years calling “hers” had actually been placed in a trust by Ethan’s grandfather. Ethan was the beneficiary, and his…