No-one really knows why Mika the sea lion ended up in the St Kilda fish and chip shop on the way home to her pup.
Takeaways on Marlow store owner Rachel Ng said the female sea lion entered the St Kilda shop about 6pm and stayed for about half an hour. There had been one human customer in the takeaway at the time, but they quickly left.
Mika just lay on the floor soaking up the atmosphere, and the smell perhaps.
As far as she knew, no sea lion had ever come into the shop before, Ms Ng said.
The Department of Conservation (Doc) was contacted and ranger Moss Thompson arrived to oversee Mika’s departure, which was achieved by banging a pot and using wooden shields to guide her outside and away from the shop.
Outside a small crowd watched the sea lion, many of whom were waiting for her to depart so they could get themselves some takeaway.
Mr Thompson said Mika had been at sea gathering food for her pup and had stopped at the takeaway on the way back to her baby.
He had not heard of a sea lion going into such a business before and there was no clear reason for it, he said.
New sea lion mothers move inland after giving birth to protect themselves and the pups from harassment by males.
Mika, who has been staying in a section in St Kilda after giving birth on January 2, is the great, great granddaughter of Mum, the matriarch of the Dunedin sea lion group.
Mr Thompson said Doc knew of 13 pups born in the Dunedin area over the past couple of weeks after the first pup was born on Christmas Day.
The hope is for 35 pups to be born in the area this season.
