482182695

Photo by: Cultura/Richard Robinson

Cultura/Richard Robinson

New Zealand's Sea Lions Have Returned: Crashing Soccer Games, Golf Courses, and Public Pools

One of the world’s rarest sea lion species was driven into near extinction after being targeted by hunters. Now, New Zealand sea lions are repopulating the coasts– surprising locals in unexpected places.

December 06, 2021

Surrounded by the South Pacific ocean, sea lions were once found on every coast of the island nation of New Zealand. The once-flourishing species was hunted to the brink of extinction over a century ago. But since 1993, these rare animals have been making a comeback.

Now, the sea lions are taking back the mainland. New Zealand sea lions have been spotted on hiking trails, golf courses, and even in a public pool– where the animal waded into the kiddie pool evading its captors for more than three hours, even taking a dip in the lap pool before being shepherded back to the beach.

NEW ZEALAND - 2008/12/16: New Zealand, Subantarctica, Enderby Island, Field Of Yellow Bulbinella Rossii Flowers (megaherbs), Hooker's Sea Lion Couple. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

453803042

New Zealand sea lions, also known as Hooker's sea lions, sit in a field of yellow Bulbinella Rossii flowers.

Photo by: Wolfgang Kaehler

Wolfgang Kaehler

New Zealand sea lions, also known as Hooker's sea lions, sit in a field of yellow Bulbinella Rossii flowers.

Another sea lion stormed the field during a kids' soccer game in Dunedin, stopping the game for five minutes. The former breeding grounds of the once-flourishing species are now populated by humans. Meaning New Zealanders are going to have to learn to cohabitate with these blubbery creatures.

Earlier this year, a female NZ sea lion, named Hiriwa, gave birth to her pup near the 13th hole of a golf course. The two nestled into the nearby bushes of the fairway over the coming weeks. Golfers remained respectful and kept their distance. Though new moms are known for being protective of their young, there hasn’t been any reported aggression.

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation is helping to fund research that can better predict the settling and habitation patterns of sea lions. By collaborating with sea lion experts and local wildlife rangers, the New Zealand government hopes to minimize threats to the endangered sea lions as their populations make a comeback.

Neuseeland, Ozeanien, Pazifik, Südinsel, Southland, Otago Halbinsel, Otago Peninsula, Dunedin, Cape Saunders, Allans Beach, Neuseeländische Seelöwe (Phocarctos hookeri), en: New Zealand sea lion

1208362590

Adult male New Zealand sea lions can grow up to 11.5 ft long and weigh up to 350 pounds.

Photo by: Westend61

Westend61

Adult male New Zealand sea lions can grow up to 11.5 ft long and weigh up to 350 pounds.

“One way it will help is the public awareness and engagement and knowing which communities to target as the population expands,” said science adviser, Laura Boren. “We can get people ready for sea lions coming to their town.”

Soon after making their home on the golf course. Hiriwa and her pup needed nutrients. Meaning the sea lion mother was regularly crossing the road from the golf course to the ocean to get food for her pup– causing the city to shut down one of its busiest roads for months for their protection.

As the country works to find a balance, 10,000 sea lions are returning to their homeland from their subantarctic island habitat. “We need to educate people that these guys are supposed to be here,” said ecologist Louise Chilvers of Massey University in New Zealand. “They are animals, they are part of the ecosystem. You respect them, and they’ll respect you.”

Next Up

Manatee’s Cousins Have Vanished from the Ocean

Dugongs, the peaceful ‘sea cows’ of the ocean have been declared functionally extinct in China. The vegetarian mammal has vanished from the coastlines of Asia and Africa.

There’s a Black Rhino Baby Boom in Zimbabwe

Finally, a success story for the critically endangered animal.

How a Change in Fishing Practices Saved Coral Reefs

Learn how a change in fishing practices unintentionally preserved the coral reefs of the Lakshadweep archipelago off the coast of India

New Discovery May Save Nearly Extinct Turtle Species

After the 2019 loss of the last confirmed female Swinhoe Softshell Turtle in China, extinction was all but confirmed. But a new discovery gives hope to the species: a female turtle living in a lake in Vietnam.

Using DNA to Reunite an Orphaned Elephant with her Mother

After villagers found a tiny elephant wandering alone, scientists began the search for her mother using DNA matching technology.

Papua New Guinea’s Guardians Of The Sea

Papua New Guinea’s Stunning Corals Are Under Threat–Here’s Who’s Trying to Save Them

The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker is Officially Extinct, Along with 22 Other Species

Preserved too late, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared almost two dozen previously endangered species as extinct, underscoring a larger problem of climate change and habitat loss in America.

An Amazonian Tree Sought Refuge with the Norwegian Embassy

When an employee at the Norwegian Embassy in Brazil opened the door to step outside the consulate’s building one morning, an unusual visitor was waiting outside who wished to seek asylum: a 19 foot-tall endangered Jatoba tree.

Bee Swarm Kills 63 Endangered Penguins

A colony of penguins near Cape Town, South Africa, was found dead after being attacked by a swarm of bees.

Virgin Births: The First California Condor Chicks Born from Unfertilized Eggs

The first two instances of asexual reproduction have been confirmed in the California condor species.THE ZOO: SAN DIEGO is streaming on discovery+.