A fur seal has been returned to the sea after breaking into a Mt Maunganui home.
The Ross family were very surprised to find the seal in their house, which is about 150 m from the shore, early on a Wednesday morning in August.
The seal entered through the cat flap and spent a couple of hours in the house while the children slept upstairs.
Phil Ross, who happens to be a marine biologist, was unfortunately not at home at the time.
“The big joke is that this is really the only family emergency where it would be useful to have a marine biologist in the house,” he said, speaking to The Guardian. “I really missed my time to shine.”
Ross said that his wife Jen went to the gym early in the morning and when she returned at 7 am she opened the door to find the seal.
Jenn woke their two children to come and see “their new pet”.
The seal spent time in the spare room and on the couch before Jenn was able to usher it out the front door and into the garden. A Department of Conservation ranger arrived at 10 am to take the seal back to the sea.
Ross said that it was not unusual to see young seals roaming about at this time of year, because they were starting to wean and head out on their own.
The population of New Zealand fur seals is increasing and they are recolonising much of their former territory. Seals can move quickly and can cause serious injuries if they feel threatened. They can also carry infectious diseases.
The Department of Conservation recommends staying 20 metres away, not making loud noises in their presence and keeping dogs and children out of their way. There is a hotline for emergencies: 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
Image credit: Ross Family / The Guardian
