You can never guess what kind of animal might show up at your front door. Recently, a family had a big surprise when an unusual animal strayed from its home and chose to take a nap on their porch.

Last week, a family in Wellington, New Zealand, found a seal pup taking a nice nap on their porch, as shared in a Facebook post by the Department of Conservation.

The Department of Conservation explained that it had gone on quite an adventure, going up the seawall stairs, crossing a road, walking along a footpath, going up a driveway, and then tackling another set of stairs before finally getting to its napping place.

“It’s not every day you come home to find a seal curled up on your front porch.”

The animal is called a New Zealand fur seal, which is also known as kekeno. Even though it has “seal” in its name, it’s not actually a true seal. Instead, it’s more like a sea lion in terms of its family.

During the months of May to September, it’s pretty normal to see young seals appearing like this. This time is called “seal silly season” in New Zealand, when the young pups and adult males venture out from their colonies.

During this time, these seals enjoy wandering around and checking out new places, so people often spot them on the streets, in parks, and sometimes even inside their houses.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ministry for the Environment | Manatū mō te Taiao (@environmentgovtnz)

The Department of Conservation wants everyone to know that it’s totally normal for seals to look a bit rough sometimes. They might seem skinny or sick, with watery eyes and a cough, but that’s just how they are. Seals are tough animals! They posted on Facebook, saying, “Seals need rest, not rescuing.” So, let them do their thing without too much help.

They also mentioned that if you find a seal on your property that is hurt or in trouble, it’s a good idea to contact the department. For the sleepy seal that was on the porch, an officer came and moved it to a safer spot, away from dogs and busy roads.