Good Weather Attracting Unusual Visitor To River Avon in Bristol

Despite lockdown affecting us all, some things will put a smile on your face. That was certainly the reaction of many Bristol residents when they captured an unusual visitor to the River Avon on Friday afternoon.

A playful seal made an appearance near Beese’s in St Anne’s, Bristol and has been spotted numerous times playing in the water. 

Today, it was photographed having a whale of a time in the water near the weir by the Chequers Pub in Hanham. Plus, people have been stopping on their daily walks to snap the seal having fun. One walker said: “It’s found some good fishing by the look of it.”

Colonies of seals are known to live in the Bristol Channel, but the warm weather has appeared to have spurred this seal into making an early appearance. In a tweet, Bristol

Harbourmaster said: “Once every few years, a seal will come up on Spring tides, not that unusual. But always a remarkable thing to see.”

Bristol has had some exciting visitors in the past including the ‘Bristol Crocodile’ that was spotted by a bus driver in the River Avon under the Coronation Bridge. So it’s not short of unusual guests to the area. 

Bristol Zoo animals enjoying the sunshine

Other residents of Bristol are also lapping up the good weather. Although Bristol Zoo is shut to the public, the animals appear to be enjoying the quiet surroundings and warm sunshine. Lynsey Bugg, a curator of mammals, said: “The gorilla family have spent hours outside playing on Gorilla Island, the lemurs are basking in the warmth of the sun, and our pygmy hippo has been taking regular dips in the pool to keep cool.”

A world without humans

As we have no choice at the moment other than to stay inside, animals appear to take this opportunity to explore further afield. In Llandudno, Wales, mountain goats that primarily spend their time on the Great Orme, were seen roaming the streets of the town and nibbling their way through people’s gardens. 

Andrew Stuart, who has lived in the town for almost 22 years, said: “You don’t normally see the goats this far down – they can come down and get to the bottom of the Great Orme and do so regularly. They appear to have come down because it’s windy – and because there’s no one else around, they take their chance and go further and further into the town.”

Other animals making guest appearances

It’s not just animals appearing in locations across the UK that have grabbed attention during the Coronavirus pandemic; they seem to be taking to the streets in places across the globe. 

There have been videos showing deer wandering around Wisconsin and squirrels sunbathing in a California park. Plus, shockingly alligators casually strolling around beach plazas in South Carolina. The man that captured that video said “I guess he is planning on going to Christmas Mouse,” as the gator approached the holiday shop. 

So, watch out, you never know what you might see on your daily exercise.