This is much cuter than an Amazon package.
A family in the New Zealand city of Wellington arrived home earlier this week to find a fluffy fur seal pup sleeping on their doorstep. according to a Facebook post on Tuesday from the country’s Ministry of Nature Conservation.
“It’s not every day that you come home to find a seal curled up on the porch, but during ‘Seal Stupidity,’ you never know where these adventurous animals might show up!” the department wrote.
The young animal had apparently been “on a bit of a mission,” as the journey from the beach to the roost involved “climbing seawall stairs, crossing a street, climbing a footpath, a driveway, and finally a flight of stairs.”
The New Zealand fur seal, also called Kekeno, can be found here along the entire coast of the country as well as on surrounding islands. The marine mammals have been hunted almost to extinction in recent centuries, but they have made a triumphant comeback, and in great numbers over 200,000 sealsThe Guardian reported last year.
When asked by a commenter where the seal’s mother was, the department responded that the seal was likely already weaned and that “seals can end up in many strange places this time of year as they leave their mother to explore the world.” “
The department noted that in New Zealand it was common to see young seals “on the move” between May and September and that they should not be harassed or disturbed. If a seal is “in noticeably poor condition, entangled in fishing line, at risk from cars, dogs or people, or on your property”, the agency is urging New Zealanders to call its hotline for help.
In this case, the ministry decided that the seal should be moved “further up the coast to a safe location,” away from traffic and dogs.