A Dunedin man has been arrested in relation to the killing of a female sea lion pup.
The body of 11-month-old Rua was found with what was believed to be a bullet wound and cuts to her body on a beach near Portobello, in November.
A police media statement released yesterday said a 52-year-old man would appear in the Dunedin District Court on Friday charged with wilful mistreatment of an animal.
The arrest was the result of a joint investigation between the Dunedin Sea Lion Trust, Dunedin police and the Department of Conservation, the statement said.
Department of Conservation acting coastal Otago operations manager Dave Wilkins said the organisation would follow the court case.
He declined to comment on the arrest because the case was before the courts.
A ''little bit of hope'' had come from the sad situation, he said.
During the summer, Rua's mother Joy birthed another female pup at Warrington, near Dunedin.
''The locals have suggested calling her 'Hope','' Mr Wilkins said.
Joy's new pup was one of only three female pups of the 10 pups born this season, he said.
''We would like to use this opportunity to remind people that the mainland breeding population of New Zealand sea lions is tiny,'' Mr Wilkins said.
About 10,000 New Zealand sea lions remained in the wild.
