The body of an 11-month-old female sea lion pup that was found shot and cut was recovered by the Department of Conservation (Doc) on the Otago Peninsula.
The sea lion, named Rua, was found dead at a beach near Portobello on Saturday, with a puncture wound in her side that was consistent with a bullet hole and had a deep cut on the opposite side of her body.
Rua's body has been sent to the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences at Massey University for a necropsy so the details surrounding the cause of death could be determined.
The New Zealand sea lion is a native animal and is nationally critical, a status shared by the kakapo and kiwi. With only 10,000 left it has become one of the world's most rare sea lions.
Doc Coastal Otago operations manager Annie Wallace said Doc and many others in the community are devastated by this incident.
“The brutal, senseless shooting of a defenceless threatened native animal is a tragedy. Rua was one of only 11 sea lion pups born on the peninsula last summer. The impact of her death on the recovery of the New Zealand sea lion is not to be underestimated. The few female sea lions around Dunedin are precious to the survival of the species. Rua was an otherwise completely healthy pup and we have every reason to believe she would have gone on to be a productive breeder,” Ms Wallace said.
New Zealand Sea Lion Trust trustee Amelia Saxby said the act was terrible and was inflicted upon an iconic, endangered, native species.
The fact that it happened within the wildlife capital of the country "fills us with horror and shame," she said.
"These feelings will be shared by the many locals who appreciate and help care for this taoka species. We hope those who carried out this reprehensible act are found and face the harshest penalty. We hope anyone who has information will come forward,” Ms Saxby said.
Otakou member of Te Roopu Kaitiaki Hoani Langsbury said that losing a female sea lion pup like this is significant for the species, which was in population decline.
"This is a species that is rare, with only limited number of females on the mainland. The death of this sea lion is significant to survival of the species on the mainland,” he said.
A report has been made to the police and they are currently investigating the incident.
Doc are appealing to the public for any information surrounding the incident so they can indentify who is responsible.
Doc is asking anyone who may have information about this incident to contact the Dunedin Doc office on 03 477 0677, the Doc hotline 0800 362 468 or the Dunedin Central Police Station on 03 471 4800. Given the nature this incident, help from the public will be critical in solving this case.
