Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Jim Fyfe said the 2.5m young adult female, which hauled out near St Clair’s sand sausages at the weekend, had been subject to a damaging blow that had ‘‘knocked its teeth about’’.
While it was initially suspected the injury was sustained by a propeller strike, Doc was now consulting vets after receiving close-up photographs of the animal from a Dunedin wildlife photographer.
Because the laceration the animal received was a straight line it was suspected to have been caused by a human interaction, Mr Fyfe said.
He was interested in feedback the wildlife vets had to offer, Mr Fyfe said.
The animal also appeared to have been bitten earlier by a shark as it had teeth marks across its back.
‘‘I’m calling her ‘Lucky’, but she would probably disagree,’’ Mr Fyfe said.
‘‘It is hard explain the deep linear scar, and we are examining more closely because of it.’’
The large, native but ‘‘naturally uncommon’’ predators primarily inhabit the Antarctic pack ice but during autumn and winter animals disperse northward throughout the Southern Ocean, including visiting New Zealand.
They had been seen on Dunedin beaches more regularly than normal this spring, Mr Fyfe said.
Since October, Doc had received reports of the marine mammals on a daily basis, he said.
At the weekend, Doc received reports of the leopard seal at St Clair and one at Brighton.
Leopard seals are considered to be opportunistic feeders and prey on a wide range of animals.
The leopard seal’s presence at the busy city beach on Sunday and yesterday was a reminder for beach-goers to ‘‘keep their wits about them’’, Mr Fyfe said.
The Dunedin City Council and Doc said people should keep 10m away from marine mammals.
