Police and Department of Conservation officials helped a seal pup spotted crossing Hutt Road in Wellington on Sunday afternoon. Officers drove it to a safe place and released it into the water, police said, adding that the response protected the pup and road users.
Local media reported that the Department of Conservation recorded a 200 percent increase in seal sightings on land around Wellington that weekend. Police urged the public to alert them to other seals out of place and not to intervene themselves.
