Seal found in Norfolk garden
“It’s not uncommon for seals to venture up rivers away from the sea looking for food and they normally manage to find their way back.”
A grey seal in search of a new home on New Year’s Eve mistakenly made his way into a Norfolk garden, 2km from the sea.
The lost wanderer was spotted among the trees and shrubbery by a woman at her holiday home in Blakeney.
RSPCA animal collection officer Naemi Kilbey said the seal had made his way into the garden, which is just off a coastal road, through a fence. It is thought he came inland from the sea along the River Glaven, just a short distance from the garden where he was found.
“It’s not uncommon for seals to venture up rivers away from the sea looking for food and they normally manage to find their way back,” Kilbey explained.
“But it looks like this guy’s internal navigation system got a bit frazzled and he ended up a little lost! The lady certainly had a shock when she spotted him lazing around in her shrubbery!”
Fortunately, the seal had no obvious injuries or illnesses so officers released him back into the sea on New Year’s Day.
“It was so lovely to start the new year watching him swim back out to sea where he belongs,” Kilbey added. “Hopefully, he’ll find the new home he was looking for somewhere that’s a little more seal-friendly!”
Image © RSPCA
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
