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

If You’ve Noticed A Blue Line Painted On The Street, Here’s What It Means😱I’m glad I know this now. Check the first comment👇

A strange new line is suddenly slicing through America’s streets. Drivers are slamming on their brakes, staring at a thin blue stripe surrounded by yellow, and wondering…

I Visited My In-Laws and Discovered My MIL Locked in the Attic — The Reason Left Me Shaken

The moment I crossed the threshold of my in-laws’ house and felt that heavy, unnatural silence settle around me, I knew something was wrong. Not the ordinary…

My Dog Pulled Me Off the Ladder—and Saved Me From a Hidden Danger

I WAS ON THE LADDER TRIMMING BRANCHES WHEN MY DOG BIT MY PANT LEG AND PULLED ME DOWN—THEN I REALIZED WHY HE HAD ACTED SO STRANGELY. I…

My Husband’s Nighttime Routine Led to an Unexpected Discovery

Six months after the birth of their second child, life in the small family home felt strangely distant. Emily, a 32-year-old mother of two, noticed her husband…

The Jacket That Carried a Family’s Hidden Story

The family gathering was supposed to be a simple Sunday dinner, nothing more than polite conversation and shared food. I arrived wearing my late mother’s old jacket,…

Kindness and Boundaries on a Plane: A Travel Moment That Taught a Lesson in Empathy

The cabin lights glowed softly as the plane prepared for takeoff, wrapping the rows of business-class seats in a calm, golden hush. Daniel settled into his upgraded…