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

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of… See more.

The music world just lost a true icon, and your next celebration might feel a little different without him. He was the voice behind the tracks that…

I Pretended to Be a Stranger’s Brother on a Rainy Street—Months Later, She Changed My Life Forever

I still remember the smell of rain and wet asphalt that night as I walked home exhausted from work, replaying deadlines and unpaid bills in my head….

My Parents Gave My Sister the House—Then Were Shocked to Learn I Didn’t Need Their Money..

At 24, I was raising two children alone, working long hours while building an online store on the side. My sister married into wealth and stayed home,…

The House They Expected Became Someone Else’s Home

The ink dried, the keys changed hands, and the house where I had spent forty-two years of my life officially belonged to the Henderson family. Before leaving,…

The Lesson My Brother-in-Law Never Expected to Learn

Derek lunged with a cocky grin, convinced he would make me the next joke of the afternoon. I waited until the last possible second, shifted my weight,…

Beloved Fawlty Towers Actress Claire Nielson Dies at 89

Scottish actress Claire Nielson has passed away at the age of 89, leaving fans of classic British television saddened by the loss of a familiar and beloved…