Patrons at a bar in Richmond, New Zealand, were quietly minding their own business when the front door suddenly swung open and an unexpected guest flopped inside. A baby fur seal had wandered into the Sprig + Fern Tavern, also known as the Meadows craft beer bar, instantly surprising everyone inside.

At first, co-owner Bella Evans assumed the animal was a dog, since the bar is pet friendly. After taking a closer look, she quickly realized that was not the case.
“Everyone was in shock,” Evans said. “Oh my gosh. What do we do? What’s going on?”

Customers and staff tried to gently guide the seal toward the back door using a sweater, but the animal had other plans. Instead, it waddled toward the bathroom and lodged itself under an unplugged dishwasher, showing no interest in leaving. One customer even ran home to grab an old dog crate, while Evans came up with a plan to lure the seal out using a pizza box.

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation later confirmed it had received multiple reports of a seal spotted wandering around Richmond earlier that weekend.
“Bar staff did a great job keeping the seal safe until rangers arrived,” Department of Conservation spokesperson Helen Otley said.

The seal was eventually relocated to Rabbit Island, which Otley said was considered a safe location because it is dog free. Evans, who has owned the pub with her partner for only a few months, said the baby fur seal was the first unruly patron she has ever had to remove.

Staff members affectionately named the seal Fern and joked that it would always be welcome back, though preferably not during business hours.