Seal Rolls in Leaves, Gains 7 Million Views
A 26-year-old Baltic grey seal named Dawid became an online sensation after a video of him rolling in fall leaves went viral.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Wildlife
A video showing Dawid, a 26-year-old Baltic grey seal, rolling around in fall leaves has gained more than 7 million views. The seal lives at Borysew zoo near Poddebice, Poland.
Why it matters
The rolling behavior is part of Dawid's daily medical training, which keepers use to check his motor skills, skin condition, fins and eyes. Keepers frame the training as play so that the seal does not come to associate it with stress.
The video has surpassed 7 million views, and Dawid is a 26-year-old Baltic grey seal. Neither the platform nor the timeframe for reaching that total is specified.
The players
Dawid
Dawid is a 26-year-old Baltic grey seal who lives at Borysew zoo near Poddebice, Poland, and whose rolling video drew wide online attention.
Borysew zoo
Borysew zoo is a zoo near Poddebice, Poland, where Dawid lives and where keepers conduct daily medical training with the seal.
The details
Rolling on the ground is a natural behavior seen in wild grey seals, and keepers at Borysew zoo use it as an enrichment activity that stimulates the animal's body and mind. Male grey seals also fight during breeding season to establish dominance, a behavior distinct from the rolling seen in the video.
Timeline
- November 2, 2026: Article published about Dawid's viral rolling video
Wildlife
Canada is home to over half of the world's grey seals, with the largest population on Sable Island in Nova Scotia, placing Dawid's captive behavior in Poland within a much larger wild population. Rolling on the ground is documented as a natural behavior in those wild seals.
The story shows that routine enrichment and medical training can be built into animal care as play, a practice that zoos and wildlife caretakers can apply to keep animals healthy. Readers interested in animal welfare can observe how keepers reduce stress during handling and checkups.
The takeaway
Routine care can double as enrichment when it is framed as play, which helps animals stay healthy without learning to fear the procedures that keep them well.
Further reading
Explore more about the animals in our Wildlife section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBC News.
