In Dunedin, people joke about the havoc sea lions wreak on its population of 135,000, writes Watchman. The animals appear in parks, on golf courses, on beaches and along highways.
Many sea lion pups are born in December and January, the summer months in New Zealand. Animals are far from afraid of people. Two sea lions gave birth to their young in the middle of a golf course. Another went swimming with participants in a surfing competition.
Dunedin residents are being asked to keep an eye out for sea lions, especially newborns. For example, people are asked to keep dogs on leashes and drive carefully on the roads.
According to nature organizations, sea lions are simply curious and do not aim to disrupt people's lives. “It's a coincidence that sea lion breeding season coincides with summer vacation, but it creates chaos,” says biologist Jim Fife.
Although more sea lions are being born, this animal is still threatened with extinction. The number of sea lions on mainland New Zealand has been close to zero for more than a century. They made a cautious comeback in the 1990s. In recent years there has been a noticeable increase.
