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The return of pakake
Pakake New Zealand sea lions are like the rockstars of the sea lion world. They're super rare and can only be found in cool places like Aotearoa New Zealand and the sub-Antarctic Islands. Back in the day, these awesome sea lions used to be all over the place in Aotearoa, even up in the north of the North Island. But, get this, they almost disappeared in the mid-1800s because people were hunting them like crazy.
Let's talk history
Scientists have found Pakake New Zealand sea lion remains from Fiordland to East Otago, Cook Strait, South Taranaki, and on the east coast of the North Island. But after 1500, it's like they vanished from the northern North Island. No proof they were hanging out there anymore.
The pakake breeding range probably extended into the North Island, but we don't have evidence of baby sea lion remains further north than Nelson. Archaeological digs and old records tell us that both Māori and European folks were into hunting these sea lions.
Time for the European sealing drama
Picture this: whalers and sealers show up at the Auckland Islands in 1806, and it's like a sea lion hunting bonanza. For 24 years, these cool sea lions were hunted for their stylish pelts. Fur and 'seal oil' were the hot commodities in Europe and America.
Fur seals were even more popular, but both sea lions and fur seals were hunted a lot in New Zealand and Australia. By the 1830s, everyone started losing interest because the sea lion population was dropping fast. Some folks kept shipping a few sea lion skins until 1894, though.
Guess who's back?
Fast forward to 1993, and it's a big deal. Pakake make a comeback! Farmer George MacIntosh hears something that sounds like a kid goat on his farm near near Taiari Mouth (incorrectly known as Taieri Mouth) in Ōtepoti Dunedin. Turns out, it's a sea lion mother nursing a pup.
George calls up the Department of Conservation, and they confirm it's a female pakake New Zealand sea lion. This little pup was probably the first one born on the mainland in over 150 years. Cool, right?
The sea lion mother, aka Mum, was born in the Auckland Islands but travelled 600 kilometres to the mainland to have her pup. She went on to have 11 pups in the Ōtepoti Dunedin area, bringing sea lion breeding back to the mainland.
Mum was a legend, last seen in 2010 at the ripe age of 24. She's not around anymore, but you might spot one of her kids, grandkids, or even great-grandkids along the Otago coastline.
Mum's legacy lives on
Even though Mum's not here, her legacy is strong. The mainland sea lion population is small but growing, with around 10 to 20 pups born each year. So, the sea lion comeback is real, and it's pretty awesome!
Try a quiz for The return of pakake.
Discover more
- The sea lions next door
New Zealand Geographic article about how sea lions are coming home to the coasts of southern New Zealand, returning to their former territory after more than 300 years in exile.