Furry situation at south Auckland Hospital

  • 03/09/2015
(Photo: supplied)
(Photo: supplied)

South Auckland's Middlemore Hospital has found itself in a couple of furry situations today after two seals turned up at its doorstep.

Middlemore Hospital head of communications Paul Patton says the first unexpected visitor turned up around 2am, and staff had to organise a makeshift fence to contain the animal until Department of Conservation (DOC) staff could take it away.

The second seal turned up around 2pm and, according to Mr Patton, looks to be in poor health.

"It is quite ironic that a sick seal arrives at our hospital needing urgent care."

Mr Patton says DOC were alerted to the sick seal, but they are not going to respond to this incident because they know the seal in question and believe it is best to be left to its own devices.

It is assumed the seals decided to wander up from East Tamaki stream around 100 metres from the hospital car park.

Mr Patton says the influx in seals may be due to a family having made a home somewhere in the stream close to the hospital.

Staff and patients were kept away from the seals as they have a tendency to be aggressive and carry disease.

The latest guest is the third of its kind in less than a week, after a baby seal also decided to venture up to the hospital on August 30.

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