Christchurch baby fur seal rescued twice after suburban wanderings

The adventurous baby fur seal has been rescued and released twice. Photo / Supplied

An adventurous yet persistent baby fur seal has been rescued and released twice after being spotted wandering through suburban Christchurch.

Department of Conservation (DoC) biodiversity ranger Mailee Stanbury said a ranger collected the seal from the Woolston area after being informed that people intended to “take the animal home”.

“There were also reports of members of the public feeding it and picking it up,” Stanbury said.

The baby seal was then taken to a headland past Taylors Mistake to be released back into the wild.

But the determined seal found its way back to the Taylors Mistake beach, where it was seen enjoying a Christchurch summer hanging out around the surf club.

In a second rescue attempt, Stanbury collected the seal.

This time, the baby was taken to a secluded beach on Banks Peninsula, with hopes the seal would bond with other seals and “stay put”.

Stanbury said that people interacting with seals and feeding them encourages them to stay around people, which can put a seal’s life at risk.

“When people feed them or interact with them, they are putting its life in danger as it will bond with people and keep coming back to urban settings where it can be attacked by dogs or hit by a car,” she said.

“These little seals are only just weaned from their mothers and need to learn to feed and survive in the wild.

“We urge the public to leave seals alone, give them a wide berth and absolutely do not feed them.

“Ring the DoC hotline if you think a seal is injured or sick or in danger on a road.”