The New Zealand Sea Lion continues to decline from hunting that has been going on since the 19th century. With a recent mass death due to unknown causes, they are even closer to becoming extinct.
Body length: Male 3m/Female 2m
Weight: Male 300kg/Female 140kg
(Source: Doubutsu Sekai-isan* Red Data Animals Kodansha) (*World Animal Heritage)
They live on the beaches southward of New Zealand, notably the Auckland Islands.
The New Zealand Sea Lion likes to eat squid, octopus, shellfish, crab, and fish. Sometimes they capture penguins too.
The New Zealand Sea Lion has a habit of swallowing small pebbles. Strange as it may sound, apparently this helps their digestion.
Many years of hunting for their fur and oil
The New Zealand Sea Lion is an endangered species that lives in the southward seas of New Zealand. Their plight began when hunters began capturing them for their fur and oil in the 19th century. It is believed the sea lion population decreased significantly because hunting continued for more than a century, until it was banned in the middle of the 20th century.
Mass deaths discovered!
At the turn of the last century, there have been a few incidents where huge numbers of New Zealand Sea Lions were found dead. While the exact cause is still unknown, this phenomenon is a dangerous one. After all, their habitat is small enough as it is. Add to that their continuing low population caused by a century of hunting and you have the makings of a complete wipe out if more mass deaths occur.
If you click the words above, you can see other animals related to this one.