River Seal Pup Plays Hide And Seek With Curious Dog

Jul 03, 2020 by apost team

In this adorable encounter, a land dog got the chance to meet a sea dog. Mischa, an excitable 13-year-old labrador, noticed an equally curious seal swimming in the River Thames a short distance away from Greenwich, South East London, England. Mischa's owner, Nicola White, filmed this incident just a few years ago in 2013, capturing the sudden friendship the two creatures created.

While the encounter didn't last long, as the seal became somewhat overwhelmed by Mischa's barking and excitement relatively quickly, everyone was glad Mischa's owner captured this moment between the two.

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It's well known that, in general, dogs enjoy the attention of others. Our favorite four-legged friends represent the extroverts of the animal kingdom. They aren't afraid to approach other animals and learn a little bit more about them.

Seals are much the same. Online, they're even occasionally referred to as "sea dogs" because they're well known for being both brave and friendly. Tourists have often reported that seals will frequently swim along the wall of the River Thames, intrigued by passersby. In fact, The Guardian reported in 2019 that the river was home to around 138 seal pups.

While out walking with her owner, the curious seal caught the attention of Mischa, who, her owner explained, is always eager to meet other animals. When the seal popped its head out of the water, Mischa immediately wanted to go over and say hi. Unperturbed by Mischa's excitable barking, the seal peaks it's head up, coming almost nose to nose with Mischa. The two stared at each other for just a moment before the seal ducked below the water again.

The seal and Mischa do these for several minutes. When the seal gets overwhelmed by Mischa's barking, she ducks below the water momentarily. As soon as the seal disappears, Mischa starts looking for her again, leaning over the wall. A moment later, she's back — and this time, she decides to climb up on the wall, only a few feet away from Mischa. At this point, Mischa's energy was unsettling for the seal.

Ducking below the water, the seal disappeared momentarily. It came back again to splash at Mischa, who probably thought this was a game. Though she was barking and growling some, she calmly approached the animal. The entire time, her tail was wagging. Mischa wanted so badly to be friends.

Finally, the seal had had enough and swam away, returning to whatever it is seals do in their free time. Mischa whined some, at this point. You could tell that she hoped the seal would return to play hide and seek with her again.

While these animals may be entirely different breeds, they're perfectly capable of interacting with each other. Both the seal and Mischa were interested in saying hello, and both were brave enough to do it. Many people try to say that animals of different species can't get along due to predator and prey drives, but that's simply not the case. Scientists and journalists have even explored the strange but beautiful interspecies bonds that can form between different animals.

Dogs, ultimately, are known for being friendly and welcoming and are a perfect example of this. They're curious by nature. Most dogs will approach any animal that allows them to. It's also part of why dogs so frequently chase other animals — when a cat or squirrel runs, for instance, the dog often interprets it as an invitation to play. In this case, the seal made the decision to engage in a cute game of hide-and-seek with Mischa. Thankfully, her owner thought to record the moment so we can watch it now.

Would you let your pet get that close to a seal? Let us know what you think about this cute and unique friendship. Some find it a bit strange, but we think it's totally endearing. And be sure to pass this incredible video on to fellow animal lovers.