Earless Seal Clutches a Toy Version of Itself in Pure Joy

An absolutely adorable earless seal at Okhotsk Tokkari Center in Monbetsu, Hokkaido Japan gleefully hugged and played with a gifted plush miniature version of himself.

This seal being hand-reared after being rescued due to injury. As with the other seals at the center, the hope is to one day him back to the ocean.

Clearly, the seal got smitten with the toy, as he couldn’t stop hugging it, riding it on the back, and squeezing the toy to its heart. We wonder if the seal thinks the toy is its baby. One thing is for sure – this is cuteness overload.

Okhotsk Tokkari Center

This adorable animal at Mombetsu Land, an attraction park in Japan, got a special present from the zoo staff. This seal being hand-reared after being rescued due to injury. As with the other seals at the center, the hope is to one day him back to the ocean.

“Tokkari” is the Ainu word for “azarashi” (earless seal), and as the center’s name would imply, this facility specializes in sheltering and conservation of earless seals. Visitors can observe the natural ecology of these graceful seals, and even take part in close-up interactive activities.

Okhotsk Tokkari Center

All the while, the center serves as a conservation facility, treating earless seals that have been injured or caught in fishing nets, and returning them home to the ocean.

The Okhotsk Tokkari Center holds and extremely important role as Japan’s one and only marine animal conservation facility. A plushie that looks just like the ‘mini-me’ version of the seal.

Okhotsk Tokkari Center

Knowing that this love story was too cute not to share, the center published photos on Twitter.

And the public seemed to agree, sharing the tweet more than 26,000 times. The seal couldn’t stop hugging it, riding it on the back, and squeezing the toy to its heart.