seasocietynz

What is Tuberculosis: Mycobacterium pinnipedii? Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infectious disease that affects the lungs and without treatment can be fatal. Mycobacterium pinnipedii causes TB in New Zealand sea lion/pakake adults (Phocarctos hookeri) and New Zealand fur seal/kekeno adults (Arctocephalus forsteri).  How is Tuberculosis: Mycobacterium pinnipedii spread? The primary route of infection in sea lions and fur seals is inhalation. […]

“Did I hear you shout correctly?”  “Yup, it’s Forest & Bird’s ‘Bird of the Year’ again!” Sorry I’m late to the party! My bird and I have been busy setting up our nest in preparation for laying our eggs in late September. At 65 cm, life isn’t easy for a penguin like me. Firstly, there

What is it? HPAI A(H5N1) is an avian, highly infectious, respiratory disease. It can lead to death by pneumonia (inflammation of the air sacs in one or both lungs) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). What species have been affected? How is it spread? HPAI A(H5N1) is spread via migrating birds. It is spread locally

Meet Harry… A New Zealand fur seal/kekeno juvenile. He is a local of Dunedin/Ōtepoti, a fur-iendly face on the Clearwater Wildlife Tours, and Harry Styles is his namesake. While their similarities include both being showmen, photogenic, and having doe eyes; I’m not suggesting that Harry Styles is cuter than Harry the fur seal. Fur seals are endemic

Between 2012 – 2022, there has been a steady increase in youth aged 15 – 24 and adults being diagnosed with depression in Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2022/23, 565 individuals died by suicide. It’s time to share and to listen. Outwardly, I’ve learned to mask it, and internalise my struggles and sadness. Inwardly, my mind

Standing on the crest of a hill, bathed in golden rays, a yellow-eyed penguin searched for their mate, and called – loudly. Hence their te reo Māori name ‘Hoiho’, which means ‘noise shouter’. Yellow-eyed penguins are endemic to New Zealand, and are considered to be the rarest penguin in the world, with a total of

Like humans, New Zealand sea lion/pakake individuals exhibit different personalities and behavioural traits. Some sea lion individuals are more curious and energetic (typical among juveniles), while others are more placid and nonchalant (typical among mature adults). When out doing sea lion monitoring, I see some individuals often, because they have favourite hang out spots. This

Just Stop Oil is an organisation that has been demanding the UK government create an international, legally binding treaty to end the extraction and burning of oil and coal by 2030. In November 2022, Just Stop Oil co-founder Roger Hallam, Daniel Shaw, Louise Lancaster, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, and Cressida Gethin agreed to cause disruption to traffic by

Were it not for the courage of activists who raised their heads above the parapet to demand change, the below would not have happened. Abolishment of Slavery: On the 1st of January 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It states that “all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State,

Kea (Nestor notabilis) are an endemic, large parrot from the family Nestoridae; and they reside in the Southern Alps of Aotearoa New Zealand. They are classified as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with a population of approximately 4,000. They have beautiful olive-green plumage, with underwings that are orange-red with black and yellow strips. They can weigh