Recently I spied this male pup resting beside his mum; after being given permission by the Department of Conservation, I snuck closer and made my brief introduction. New Zealand sea lion/pakake pups are the rarest seal pups in the world and weigh between eight to twelve kilograms at birth. Their mother’s milk is very rich, and they will gain between one to two kilograms each week. Eventually this wee male will weigh up to 450 kilograms and sport a glorious mane. This year, the Department of Conservation Senior Ranger Jim Fyfe saw the most successful breeding season for the endangered species since their return to mainland Aotearoa in 1993. Alongside the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust and Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, 20 pups were tagged from St Kilda to Warrington. “I think I’ve finally stopped saying sea lions are coming back. I’m saying sea lions are here,” Jim Fyfe said. “This is their home.”
Photo: Sian Mair.