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

While I was overseas volunteering, my sister took my wedding dress and married my fiancé for his money—with my parents fully supporting her. But when I returned and she proudly introduced her “husband,” I couldn’t stop laughing. The man she married was…

PART 1: I WALKED INTO MY OWN WEDDING… AS A GUEST? 👰🚫 I had been overseas for six months, volunteering in medical logistics, saving lives while my…

PART 2: While I was overseas volunteering, my sister took my wedding dress and married my fiancé for his money—with my parents fully supporting her. But when I returned and she proudly introduced her “husband,” I couldn’t stop laughing. The man she married was…

PART 2: THE WRONG BROTHER & THE FAKE EMAILS 📩🔥 “That,” I pointed at the man in the navy suit, “is NOT Ethan Callahan.” The room went…

PART 3: While I was overseas volunteering, my sister took my wedding dress and married my fiancé for his money—with my parents fully supporting her. But when I returned and she proudly introduced her “husband,” I couldn’t stop laughing. The man she married was…

PART 3: THE “INHERITANCE” TRAP ⚖️💎 Ethan didn’t come for a reunion; he came with a fraud investigation. Chloe hadn’t just stolen my dress; she had tried…

My old, grease-stained toolbelt made me the joke of Career Day — but one boy’s trembling confession turned the laughter into heavy silence.

They were already half laughing before I reached the front of the classroom, whispers and polite sneers floating just above the hum of Career Day. Parents had…

My Husband’s Mistress Hired Me as Her Maid

I never imagined that taking a second job would lead me straight to my husband’s betrayal. With two kids, rising bills, and a husband who had grown…

The Surprising Health Benefits of Eating Purslane After 60..See more

It might look like just another weed creeping through cracks in sidewalks or garden beds, but purslane is far from ordinary. Often pulled up and discarded, this…