A seal galumphs into a bar. The bartender says 'Grab the salmon!' [View all]

https://apnews.com/article/seal-bar-new-zealand-pub-richmond-487e2a8207c9f0e69be79ac7eb8045c0

A seal galumphs into a bar. The bartender says ‘Grab the salmon!’

BY CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-MCLAY
Updated 11:06 PM PST, December 3, 2025

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A seal walked into a bar. Or to use a technical term, it galumphed.

The creature was apparently lost, curious and well below New Zealand ’s legal drinking age. It lodged itself under the dishwasher and showed no interest in calling a cab.

It was a wet, lazy Sunday evening when the baby fur seal waddled into the Sprig + Fern The Meadows craft beer bar in Richmond, at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. 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.

“Everyone was in shock,” Evans said. “Oh my gosh. What do we do? What’s going on?”

A patron grabbed a sweater and tried to usher the seal out of the back door. Evading its pursuers, the creature dashed into a restroom and then hid under the dishwasher, which was swiftly unplugged.

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