The number of callouts to seal rescues in suburban areas more than tripled last year. Seals have turned up in unlikely spots including a car wash, a hospital and backyards.
But the Department of Conservation (DOC) says city dwellers should expect more visits.
The seal population is bouncing back and it is a homecoming of sorts. They are returning to the places they would have gone naturally, and instead of finding their habitat, they are finding houses instead.
It has made for a pretty busy season for DOC, with seal-related callouts jumping from 52 in 2014 to 171 in 2015, with the numbers continuing to rise.
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