Hungry sea lion pup a long way from home
This young sea lion was spotted resting on a sand hill at Oreti Beach near Invercargill, some months ago.
It showed no fear and actually followed a person down the beach to a car where the photograph was taken.
It had a numbered blue tag on its left front flipper and this was reported to the Department of Conservation, which administer a special sea lion recovery plan.
Following through on the numbered tag, DOC reported that this sea lion was born on Enderby Island on December 14, 2017. It was tagged by a research team.
Enderby Island is part of the Auckland Island group and so this baby male sea lion had travelled some 460km to reach New Zealand.
The theory is that it was probably separated from its mother and could have followed other males to New Zealand.
Its ribs were showing which indicates starvation. The thought was that it could have followed a human across the beach because it was hungry. It turned and barked at the approach of a dog but seemed quite at ease in human company.
Sea lions are one of the largest New Zealand animals. Males can measure more than 3 metres and weigh up to 450 kilograms. They are thought to be one of the world’s rarest sea lion and are treated as a threatened species.
Seals and sea lions belong to a group of mammals known as ‘‘pinnipeds’’. Notice the long, sturdy flippers. They can turn their hind flippers forward and so walk on them. Seals cannot do this.
During the breeding season a large group of sea lions is called a harem. The adult males are called bulls and the females cows.
Sadly, the day after this photograph was taken this pup was found dead further along the beach. An autopsy revealed that starvation was the most likely cause of death.
It’s encouraging to note that at least four people who saw this pup reported the sighting to the DOC mammal emergency hot line.
That was the right thing to do.