A massive Australian fur seal that turned up on a
suburban street in Tasmania, 50 kilometres from the ocean, and sat
on a parked car is on its way back to the wild.
Dubbed "Lou-seal" by police, the wayward animal wandered into
Penquite Road in the Launceston suburb of Newstead in the early
hours of Boxing Day.
The adult male, estimated to weigh 200 kilograms, was first
spotted about 5:45am in the middle of a road.
It scrambled onto a car parked in a driveway and then jumped on
to another car parked behind it.
The seal was cordoned off by police while waiting for Parks and
Wildlife officers to arrive, with people inside the house unable to
leave for several hours.
William Gregory was staying at the Newstead home.
"We got up and there was this great big seal on the roof of the
car which is definitely not what you'd expect on Boxing Day," he
said.
"You kind of wake up and you wonder, is this really happening,
am I really seeing this or am I still dreaming?
"It did this spectacular manoeuvre where it slid down the back
of the first car and jumped onto bonnet of the second car and
scrambled over the top of that."
Mr Gregory said Lou-seal caused only minor damage to both
cars.
"We'll replace the windscreen and pop a few dents out, they're
just old cars so it doesn't really matter. It's worth it," he
said.
It was not the first time seals had been spotted in the
area.
"A couple of long-term locals told me that it's happened a
couple of times over the years," Mr Gregory said.
"There is a little estuary right behind our house so I imagine
he's just swam out there ... and found himself out on the
street."
Parks and Wildlife staff tranquilised the hefty creature before
moving it onto a trailer.
Wildlife biologist Rachel Alderman was not surprised Lou-Seal
was out and about, given the large population of Australian fur
seals in Tasmania.
"At this time of year, it's not unusual for us to locate fur
seals in rather strange locations," she said.
"Most of the breeding colonies are up in Bass Strait ... so at
this time of the year, all the seals are sort of congregating up in
that neck of the woods.
Ms Alderman said it was unclear what the mammal was looking
for.
"Seals are inquisitive and could have been following food," she
said.
"In the past we've found seals in a range of unusual locations
from paddocks to car parks to even last year we had to retrieve one
from a toilet block in a cemetery."
Lou-Seal is sleeping off the sedative and will be released later
at a beach in Tasmania's north-west.
Social media was quick to embrace Lou-seal, declared by one
person on ABC 936's Facebook page to be an interesting hood
ornament.
Others were contemplating the insurance claim.
"Hope the insurance gives their seal of approval for the claim,"
said Rachel Zavier d'Leon.
"Your bonnet got dents how?" said Kris Carr.
"I've seen some unusual bonnet ornaments but that one's
ridiculous," Matt Lello posted.
