Seal faeces is said to be 'as good as gold' for researchers who can use it to assess the health and diet of the animals
A TOURIST'S holiday snaps were found in a seal's POO on a New Zealand beach after the poor creature swallowed a USB stick.
Vets took a slab of faeces from a leopard seal and had it stored in a freezer for a year before researchers started to analyse the mass for scientific research.
But while "sifting" the scat from feathers, seaweed and other junk they discovered something large and hard inside - a memory stick.
Incredibly, after drying it out for a few weeks they were able to access all of its contents - including photos of sea lions at Porpoise Bay in Caitlins, as well as a video of a mum and baby frolicking in the shallows.
It is very worrying that these amazing Antarctic animals have plastic like this inside them
Jodie Warren, volunteer
The only clue of the person filming was the nose of a blue kayak shifting through the waters, and a red and black boot poking out on the side of the boat.
The footage is thought to have been taken in November 2017, when a local vet checking on the health of a skinny seal picked up a sample.
Seal faeces is said to be "as good as gold" for researchers, who can use the faeces to assess the health and diet of the animals.
Volunteer Jodie Warren, who analysed the scat, was unimpressed by the holidaymaker in question.
“It is very worrying that these amazing Antarctic animals have plastic like this inside them," .
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research said the return of the USB stick would come with a price - a new sample of scat to continue their research.
They added: "The more we can find out about these creatures, the more we can ensure they are looked after."
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