Running a pet-friendly bar means you're used to seeing dogs, cats, maybe the occasional bird perched on someone's shoulder.
But this owner in Richmond, New Zealand got an animal visitor that left everyone in the establishment completely stunned.
And this New Zealand bar owner couldn't believe her eyes when she saw one customer waddling through the door.
A baby seal made itself right at home in a craft beer bar
Bella Evans and her partner own Sprig + Fern The Meadows, a craft beer bar in Richmond, at the top of New Zealand's South Island.
They've only owned the pub for a few months, and they run it as a pet-friendly establishment where customers regularly bring their dogs.
So when something came waddling through the door on a wet Sunday evening in late November, Evans assumed it was just another four-legged regular.
"First of all, I just thought it was a dog or something, because we're a dog-friendly pub as well, and I had to do a double take, and I was thinking, 'oh my gosh, there's a seal,'" Evans told local media.¹
The baby fur seal had somehow found its way into the bar and decided to explore.
Security footage caught the whole hilarious scene.
The seal galumphed underneath tables as stunned patrons watched.
"Everyone was in shock," Evans said. "Oh my gosh. What do we do? What's going on?"²
One patron grabbed his sweater and tried to usher the seal toward the back door.
But the pup had other ideas and dashed straight into the restroom.
The seal then wedged itself under the bar's dishwasher, forcing staff to quickly unplug the appliance.
Salmon pizza saved the day
With a seal hiding under their dishwasher, Evans and her team needed to get creative.
Another customer rushed home and brought back a dog crate to contain the marine visitor.
But they still had to coax the seal out from its hiding spot.
That's when Evans remembered the bar's pizza special.
"I just went to my fiancé, I said, 'grab the salmon! Grab the salmon!'" Evans explained.³
The salmon topping from their special pizza did the trick, luring the curious pup out from under the dishwasher and into the dog crate.
The whole ordeal lasted about 25 minutes before conservation rangers arrived to collect their fugitive.
Turns out the rangers had been tracking this particular seal all day.
"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."⁴
New Zealand's Department of Conservation received numerous reports about a seal spotted around Richmond before it decided to stop in for a drink at the pub.
Department of Conservation spokesperson Helen Otley said the bar staff "did a great job keeping the seal safe" until rangers arrived.⁵
Conservation success creates adorable chaos
The seal — which staff named Fern — was released on nearby Rabbit Island, considered a safe location because it's dog-free.
What seems like a bizarre one-off incident is actually part of an annual pattern that conservation officials call "seal silly season."
From May to September, young New Zealand fur seals head off on solo adventures while their mothers are out feeding.
They follow rivers and streams up to 9 miles inland and can turn up anywhere — houses, golf courses, busy roads, KFC parking lots, and apparently craft beer bars.
"They can turn up in unusual places, like this pub, but this is normal exploratory behavior," Otley said.⁶
This is actually a sign of one of New Zealand's great conservation success stories.
Fur seals were hunted extensively from the 16th to 18th centuries, with populations falling as low as 10,000 seals.
The last official count in 2001 estimated there were 200,000 New Zealand fur seals, and that number has certainly grown since then.
Successful conservation programs have resulted in growing seal and sea lion populations, bringing them into closer contact with humans than ever before.
Scientists refer to an annual "silly season" for both species — a period of months when they regularly appear in strange places like the inside of pubs.
Despite only owning the bar for a few months, Evans said the baby fur seal was the first unruly patron she's had to evict.
But she made it clear the animal is welcome back anytime.
"There's been the running joke that we've got the seal of approval," Evans said.⁷
And yes, salmon will remain on the menu.
¹ "Fur Seal Pup Surprises Patrons by Waddling Into Richmond Pub," 1 News, December 2, 2025.
² Bella Evans quoted in "Baby Seal Waddles Into New Zealand Bar and Heads to the Bathroom: 'Everyone Was in Shock,'" CBS News, December 4, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Helen Otley quoted in "A Seal Galumphs Into a Bar. The Bartender Says 'Grab the Salmon!'" Associated Press, December 4, 2025.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Bella Evans quoted in CBS News, December 4, 2025.
Related posts:
Tourist ignored safety warnings for one selfie that left him trampled and half-naked
This giant Alaska bear has been trying to win for three years and just pulled off one major victory
Rescue Team Discovered What 11 Dogs Built Inside Abandoned Hoarding House That Left Everyone Speechless
