A New Zealand farmer was searching his property for new lambs, when he discovered an unexpected baby among the sheep.
Dee Knapp from Ivercargill, New Zealand, was walking along his Tuatapere property when he saw "a little blimp in the back of the paddock." As he stepped closer, he realized to his great surprise that it was actually a baby seal!
The farmer was shocked to find an adorable baby seal on his property, which is located 10km from the nearest beach. Lucky for us, he was filming as he came upon this adorable discovery.
Dee Knapp brought the lost seal into his home and waited until his children returned from school. He named the new little seal buddy Lucielle (a play on the words Lou Seal) and kept the baby company between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
When the Southland family called the Department of Conservation for guidance about what to do next with little Lucielle, but they were told to simply "let nature take it's course."
Well, the Knapp family knew that they couldn't stand by and watch Lucielle die. So they took matters into their own hands.
Find out why they decided to take the risk on the next page.
Little Luceille investigated it's temporary home while Knapp waited for his family to return. In the meantime, the sweet pup found a snugly spot on the couch and took a well-deserved nap.
Kapp told Stuff that he defrosted some fish in an attempt to feed the lost animal, but the pup didn't seem too interested in eating. The little seal got plenty of attention in the short time that it was with the family - about 10 visitors came through the home to meet Luceille.
After the children returned from school, the Knapps agreed to defy the advice given to them by the Department of Conservation. They would bring Lucielle to the beach and set the little one free.
"...We said, we'll do it ourselves and if they're not going to help, we will do it for you," Dee Knapp told Stuff.
Although they ran the risk of being fined up to $250,000, the family believes they did the best thing for little Lucielle.
"We've made a fairly good risk assessment," said Dee's wife, Sandie Knapp.
"We didn't do it because it was cute and we wanted to cuddle it. We did it because it was the right thing."
The family loaded the little seal into a cat carrier and brought the baby out to the water's edge. It didn't take long for the sweet creature to wade into the water and happily swim away.
As they watched their surprise guest swim into the sunset, they caught a glimpse of the little one's flipper raised in the air - as if to say 'thanks guys!'
Would you have risked a fine of $250,000 to save a baby seal? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
