Pint-sized seal pup surprises patrons by waddling into pub

Monday, 1 December 2025

Pint Pint-sized seal pup strode into the Spig + Fern in 'The Meadows' pub in Nelson on Sunday.

A pup that waddled into a suburban pub has given the salmon pizza special its seal of approval.

Patrons enjoying a Sunday evening pint at the Sprig + Fern The Meadows, near Nelson, got a shock when a young New Zealand fur seal/kekeno arrived into the bar.

Co-owner Bella Evans said they were starting to put up Christmas decorations at about 5.20pm when a patron in the doorway was surprised by the pup, which had been hiding in the bushes.

The regular tried to use his jumper to usher the seal away from the bar, but instead it fled inside where it made its way around the pub.

“This seal just walked in through the front door,” Evans said.

At first people thought it was a little dog, but “we all did a double take and realised it was a baby seal”, she said.

“Everyone was pretty shocked, my mouth dropped.”

The pup made its way around the pub, hiding in the bathroom for a bit and even getting in behind a dishwasher, which they turned off as a precaution.

A seal pup that wandered into the Sprig + Fern The Meadows on Sunday spent some time hiding in the bathroom.

One of the customers popped home and grabbed a dog crate, and they used some salmon to lure it into the cage.

It was fortuitous timing, she said.

They have weekly pizza specials, and the salmon pizza had been so popular it had been put back on the menu for one week only.

“We brought [the pizza] back because people were loving it. Everyone kept joking that even the seal’s heard.”

Bella Evans co-owner of the Sprig & Fern at The Meadows in Richmond. The video of the seal pup coming into their bar has gone global including multiple media interviews. Evans said they would now refer to the seal as Fern, named after one of their most popular beers.

They had taken over ownership of the pub about two and a half months ago, and hadn’t expected to be wrangling wildlife, Evans said.

A customer had contacted the Department of Conservation quickly after the seal first arrived, and a ranger showed up about five minutes after they got the pup into the cage.

It appeared the seal had made its way up nearby Borck Creek.

DOC principal ranger biodiversity Helen Otley said the department had received several calls on Sunday about the baby seal, which had been seen around the suburb of Berryfields.

Sprig + Fern in The Meadows co-owner Bella Evans said her “moth dropped” when she realised it was a seal.

“The duty ranger went and looked in the area where the seal had been seen several times but was unable to locate it.”

After collecting the seal in the crate it was released at Rabbit Island, which is a safe location due to its dog-free status.

“The pub staff did a great job keeping the seal safe until the DOC ranger could get there,” Otley said.

Salmon from a popular pizza special was used to lure the pup into a dog cage.

It wasn’t unusual to see young fur seals onshore in the Tasman Bay area at this time of year, including in Stoke, Richmond and Māpua.

The seals were exploring after weaning and could wander as far as 15km inland, often following rivers and streams, she said.

“They can turn up in unusual places – like this pub – but this is normal exploratory behaviour.”

DOC would normally take a ‘“hands off” approach.

“They are capable and resilient and given time and space, they usually find their way back to the shore.

“We do intervene where seals are causing disruption, a traffic hazard, or are injured or being harassed by people or dogs.”

People can call the emergency hotline 0800 DOC HOT in these situations.