Seal Pup Curls Up For Nap On Porch Of New Zealand Home

Kekeno are the most common seals in New Zealand with roughly 200,000 living along the coasts. They are often seen on the rocky shores but rarely on the front porch of a home.

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) states, “Seals are very good swimmers and weaned pups will sometimes travel great distances. On land seals have been found in unusual places such as backyards, drains and streets.”

A Wellington family returned home to find a young fur seal napping on their porch. While this may seem odd, DOC shared, “during ‘seal silly season’ you never know where these adventurous animals might pop up!”

The adorable seal traveled quite a way to find a peaceful spot to nap. “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,” wrote DOC.

A standby officer arrived to relocate the seal pup to a safer area further down the coast away from dogs and traffic.

Young seals can appear in unusual areas from May-September when they are weaned from their mothers and set out on their own. People often want to “rescue” the seal pups, but the DOC reminds people what they should do instead.

“They might look skinny or sick, with weepy eyes and a cough, but this is normal – seals are very resilient animals. If you spot one on land, remember this golden rule: Seals need rest, not rescuing.”

However, there are times when DOC officers will intervene. “If you see a seal that is injured, in noticeably poor condition, tangled in fishing line, in danger from cars, dogs or humans, or on your property, please call us on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).”

Learn more about these adorable animals here.