Many of us, I’m sure, are no strangers to meeting new friends while on vacation. Socializing with strangers from foreign nations has an oddly mystical quality to it, as it frequently leads to long-lasting friendships.
But what if I told you that this phenomenon isn’t limited to humans? Stanley, a dog, and his human recently traveled to Cornwall to see the local Cornish seal sanctuary, where he made friends with a seal pup named Aayla. They then struck a few positions. And everyone exclaimed, “Aww!”
Stanley, a dachshund (often known as a sausage or wiener dog) and his owner Melanie Talbot were on vacation in Cornwall, England. They chose to visit the Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary during their time away from home, and Bored Panda contacted them for an interview.
Stanley’s attention was pulled to a big seal pup named Aayla, a permanent inhabitant of the seal sanctuary, almost immediately after entering the underwater viewing facilities. As their gazes met through the tank’s glass wall, Aayla became enthralled by his new pal.
Aayla apparently dove to the window and kept swimming around, always staring at the 2-year-old dachshund. The two spent about 20 minutes talking and posing for photos with each other. And, my, was it cute as a button!
“Aayla is frequently spotted near the underwater viewing platform; she adores connecting with people and dogs,” said Georgina Shannon of the Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary. “We frequently receive images from our guests showing Aayla interacting with their dogs, so this isn’t the first time she’s made a dog buddy, though she appeared to adore Stanley!” ”
Stanley was wearing a doggie jacket and a snoot with his ears tucked up inside since it was cold, so Aayla may have misunderstood him for another seal. She began to imitate certain mannerisms, such as waving at the dog and tilting her head in the manner of most dogs. Georgina Shannon elaborated, “I think she was really enthralled by him!” “You can see from the images that she was genuinely interested in him and spent a long time peering through the window at him.”
“Aayla was rescued from Bacton, Norfolk in January, 2017 and taken to a local rehabilitation center. She was malnourished and had a small injury on her right flipper,” explained Shannon. “The flipper was discovered to be severely infected and several of the bones had to be removed, meaning she had to receive continuous care. The Sanctuary welcomed Aayla to the family in July 2018 to provide her with a permanent home.”
“Aayla is a very energetic seal who enjoys playing with the other seals,” Shannon continued. “Her favorite pastime is sneaking up on the team and bothering the other seals when they’re sunbathing.” During her training sessions, Aayla is highly bright and quick to pick up new information. She keeps up with the others and gets into plenty of mischief despite her partially severed flipper!”
The dachshund’s owner, Talbot, claimed that they felt like pals at first sight. They looked like they were whispering to each other because of the way they were booping their noses at the glass. They then struck several positions for the camera, with Aayla’s angled head making her look more like a dog than a seal.
The owner also mentioned that dachshunds sleep with their legs tucked under, giving them the appearance of seals. And, after all, why wouldn’t these two become buddies at first sight? After all, they’re both puppies!
The Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary, located in Gweek, Cornwall, rescues and cares for sick, injured, or distressed seals and other marine wildlife. If feasible, the animals are released after they have recovered, but if this is not possible, they are granted permanent residency in the sanctuary. Many animals have been saved and given new homes here, including Aayla.
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary has been saving seal pups from across Cornwall for over 60 years and providing a home for animals in need of care and a permanent home. “What many people don’t realize about our seal pups is that after they’re released, they go far and wide,” Shannon noted. “One of our liberated pups has been spotted in Ireland, according to reports!” We can get this information because each pup we release has a flipper tag with a number on it, so if they’re seen, we’ll know whose seal it is by looking at their tag number.”
Source: https://dailylifeworld.com
