A baby fur seal wandered into a craft beer bar in Richmond, New Zealand, on a wet Sunday evening, surprising staff and customers. Co-owner Bella Evans initially thought the visitor was a dog before realising it was a seal. 'Everyone was in shock,' she said. 'Oh my gosh. What do we do? What's going on?'
The seal, which was lost and curious, evaded attempts to usher it out, hiding under a dishwasher. Evans tried to lure it with salmon pizza topping. Conservation rangers arrived, having already received multiple reports about the wandering seal. 'It was their fourth call for the day,' Evans said.
New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DoC) confirmed 'numerous' reports about the seal. DoC spokesperson Helen Otley said bar staff 'did a great job keeping the seal safe'. The seal was released on Rabbit Island, a dog-free zone. Otley noted that curious young seals often follow rivers and streams up to 15 km inland during what scientists call 'silly season'.
Successful conservation programmes have increased seal populations, leading to more encounters with humans. Evans, who named the seal Fern, joked that the pub now has 'the seal of approval'.
