Seal Pup Shows Up Outside Pub Door Looking For Help
“I was pleasantly surprised to see him.”
Last Sunday, the chef at The Old Lock & Weir, a pub in Bristol, spotted an unusual customer at the kitchen door.
A curious seal pup was shuffling around the riverside building, drawing attention from staff and customers out for an early pint.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see him,” Dan Rawlins, the general manager of The Old Lock & Weir, told The Dodo. “He was moving around quite a lot and didn't seem too bothered about all the people around.”
Rawlins assumed the high tide the night before might've brought the seal to their door. Or, he could've been looking for a bite to eat. “As he was underweight, [he was] obviously attracted to the pub kitchen," Rawlins said. "We're speculating that he was hungry."
Staff cared for the seal pup while waiting for help, using pallets to contain him and draping wet towels over him to keep him comfortable. British Divers Marine Life Rescue Service safely retrieved the seal and brought him to RSPCA West Hatch for treatment.
Scanning the seal’s tag, rescuers discovered that he’d made a 300-mile journey from Scotland to the pub’s door. But all that swimming was worth it, as the little pup found the perfect people to help and will return to the sea when he's healthy.
Though, sadly, he wasn’t able to stay for fish and chips.
