A "very chill" seal has fallen asleep on a busy road in Tauranga, slowing traffic and attracting the attention of police, the Department of Conservation (DoC) and some enthralled locals.
The animal, believed to be a New Zealand fur seal (kekeno), was first spotted while it was still dark on Monday morning, opposite the Big Save Furniture on Fraser St.
Onlooker Taneisha Miny said she was heading to get breakfast with her mother when she saw the "big boy seal" beside a car and an estuary run-off.
"I pulled down a side road, and got a photo of him from my car. When I first saw him he was sleeping, as I took the photo he was getting up and having a look at what all the fuss was about.
"He seemed very chill, and looked like a tired seal. We watched him for about five minutes. All the workers and security had come out and were protecting him from the traffic."
DoC had been called and was taking care of the situation, Miny said.
Newshub has contacted DoC and the police for comment.
Kekeno are the most common species of seal in New Zealand. Their population size was estimated at 200,000 two decades ago, and it's expected to be higher now.
DoC urges anyone who spots a seal to "take a 'hands off' approach" - though it notes that if seals are in immediate danger or causing disruption, its staff can intervene.
"They are capable and resilient and given time and space, they usually find their way home," their website states.
"From July to September each year there's an influx in adolescent seals appearing on our shores and further inland. This is because seal pups begin to wean as their mothers prepare for new pups.
"Seals can wander as far as 15km inland, often by following rivers and streams. They can appear in unusual places, such as a paddock, roadside or an inner-city street. This is a normal occurrence from exploratory behaviour."
