That might sound like the beginning of a joke, but patrons of Sprig + Fern The Meadows craft beer bar in Richmond, New Zealand, spotted a seal after it lost its way and wandered in. Accustomed to seeing animals in the pet-friendly bar, co-owner Bella Evans assumed the visitor was a dog before she took a closer look. A patron grabbed a sweater and tried to usher the seal out the back door, but the seal wasn’t having it. Evading its pursuers, the creature dashed into a restroom and then hid under the dishwasher, which was quickly unplugged. Another customer ran home and got a dog crate, and Evans made a plan to lure the unruly visitor out of its hiding place using a piece of salmon. Then there was a brief wait until conservation rangers arrived. It turned out they were already tracking the wandering seal. “It was their fourth call for the day,” Evans said. “They had been driving around this new-build subdivision trying to find this baby seal.” Department of Conservation spokesperson Helen Otley said the bar staff did a great job of keeping the seal safe. She said it’s not unusual for curious young seals to show up in unexpected places at this time of year, as they follow rivers and streams up to 9 miles inland. Evans, who has owned the pub for just a few months, said the baby seal was the first unruly patron she’s had to evict, but the animal — named Fern by staff — is welcome to come back. “There’s been a running joke that we’ve got the seal of approval,” she said. Salmon, of course, will remain on the menu.
