In an unusual wildlife encounter, customers and staff at Sprig + Fern The Meadows craft beer bar in Richmond, New Zealand, were stunned when a baby seal wandered unexpectedly inside the pub on 30 November and took refuge beneath a dishwasher. The curious young seal had already been on the radar of conservation rangers after multiple public sightings earlier that day.
Co-owner Bella Evans initially mistook the visitor for a dog, a common sight in the pet-friendly bar, before realizing the unexpected guest was a seal pup. “Everyone was in shock,” Evans shared. “Oh my gosh. What do we do? What’s going on?”
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Attempts by patrons to gently guide the seal out, including using a sweater, were unsuccessful as the animal waddled into a restroom and eventually squeezed itself under a dishwasher. Staff quickly unplugged the appliance for safety.
Help arrived shortly after. Conservation rangers, who had already been searching the suburb for the roaming seal, identified it as the same pup involved in several reports that day. “It was their fourth call for the day,” Evans noted, adding that rangers had been tracking the seal across a new residential area nearby.
Rescued The Seal In a Dog Crate
According to the Department of Conservation (DOC), the bar staff “did a great job keeping the seal safe” until rangers could intervene. The seal was successfully placed in a dog crate borrowed from a customer and enticed with salmon before being safely released on Rabbit Island, a dog-free zone ideal for its protection.
DOC spokesperson Helen Otley explained that such sightings are not unusual during this time of year. Young seals often travel far inland, sometimes up to 15 kilometers (nine miles), by following rivers and streams. The baby seal’s surprise pub visit has since become a viral tale for locals and a reminder of New Zealand’s frequent, quirky interactions between wildlife and urban life.
