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16 September, 2021
Seal sightings bring joy, sadness – and a rescue
A spring spate of seal-pup sightings on North Shore beaches has provided both delight and some sad lockdown nature lessons for beach walkers.
At least one pup was found dead on the Devonport peninsula last week and another malnourished youngster uplifted from Thorne Bay, Takapuna, for treatment at Auckland Zoo. This came days after family groups gathered to watch a pup sun itself at Cheltenham Beach.
Several other sightings have also been reported along the coastline, which the Department of Conservation (DoC) says is not unusual at this time of year.
The female fur seal pup taken to the zoo was found to be extremely underweight but with no obvious injuries. She was stabilised at the vet hospital, the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine. The zoo said the pup had been given fluids and a fish feed. “Assessment of her is ongoing, with further tests still to be done.”
Remarks posted online that the pup had been snagged by a fish hook appear unfounded. The zoo said there was no evidence of a fish hook. DoC added: “The zoo said they could not find a hook in the seal’s mouth, anywhere in its body or any sign that there ever was a hook in its mouth.”
A member of the public was also said to have poured water on the animal, possibly to drink, at the bay.
DoC says if seals are seen injured or in obvious distress, the DoC hotline should be called. People should not interfere with them. “Seals should be given a wide berth as they are wild animals.”
It was not unusual for mothers to leave pups ashore when they went feeding at sea, sometimes for hours. “Keep your distance and keep dogs under control and well away from seals,” a spokesperson said.
A number of people, some with dogs, have been getting much closer than the 20-metre limit. This has prompted Auckland Council’s animal-management team to step up beach patrols and remind people that dogs should be on leashes under lockdown Alert Level 4.
The council manager of Animal Management, Elly Waitoa, said: “We will advise dog owners to be cautious of the seals.”
DoC called in the zoo’s specialist marine-mammal keeper to go with its staff to Thorne Bay around midday on Sunday 5 August after calls from the public. Police accompanied them in case crowd control was needed to ensure compliance with social distancing.
A few hours later reports of unleashed dogs worrying a pup at Narrow Neck prompted council staff to check that beach. They found a live pup on rocks.
“After closer inspection the officer could see minor cuts on the seal’s back. However, it could not be established how these injuries occurred,” said Waitoa. DoC was notified so that an investigation could be undertaken.
The same afternoon, a dead pup was seen by beachgoers near the cliffs at the south-east end of Narrow Neck.
The animal team returned the next day, but could not find the body, which may have washed out to sea on the high tide.
The next morning, Tuesday last week, a dead pup was found washed up at Cheltenham. It was later collected by a member of the public, who had contacted DoC for advice. This was to wear a mask, gloves and gumboots and to bag the seal before disposal, because of the risk of it carrying disease.
The zoo said spring was when most pups were weaned, so they could be particularly vulnerable at this time of year.
DoC says that in Level 4 it cannot deal with dead animals, as only essential callouts will be attended. But it continues to respond to wildlife emergencies. Its hotline number is (0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
General advice can be found on its website at doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/seals/nz-fur-seal/facts/.
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