Footage of 'rare' pup on Aussie island prompts warning over tourist 'disturbances'

The colony of endangered Australian sea lions on Kangaroo Island attracts roughly 100,000 tourists every year.

Left, the boardwalk to Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island. Right a still from the footage of the seal pup playing with others.
For more than 20 years, researches have been studying the 'rare and endangered' Australian sea lions on Kangaroo Island. Source: South Australia Events and Tourism Attractions/Facebook

Stunning footage of an endangered seal pup playing on a pristine beach has warmed the hearts of Aussies, many of whom say seeing the “adorable” animals with their own eyes was one of the best holidays they’ve ever taken.

The clip posted online last week shows the cheeky young Australian sea lion — one of the rarest species in the world — gallivanting around and annoying the rest of the small colony that call South Australia’s Kangaroo Island home.

With an entire estimated population of just 12,000, the native animals, which have a small external ear flap, are facing critical decline. Roughly 800 live in Seal Bay on the island, Ashleigh Wycherley, Seal Bay Conservation Park research and operations coordinator, told Yahoo News Australia this week.

The colony attracts more than 100,000 travellers to the award-winning ecotourism site each year, with social media users commenting on the video that it is well worth the trip.

“I did this tour earlier this year and it was wonderful,” one woman said, while another claimed it was one of her family’s highlights when visiting the island. Others urged curious viewers to pop over and observe the cute creatures.

According to the Kangaroo Island Tourism Food Wine and Beverage Association, visitors who do sign up for a guided tour are able to immerse themselves in the population with “no enclosures or cages to separate visitors from the sea lions”.

“Witness firsthand how they hunt, surf, interact with their pups, and defend their territory, an opportunity unmatched anywhere else in the world,” the website states. “Visitors can support conservation efforts and gain insights into the fascinating world of these creatures by exploring the sanctuary.”

For more than 20 years, Seal Bay has also been home to the world’s only research facility dedicated to the species, monitoring the microchipped population for reasons behind its dwindling numbers.

Aussie sea lions are list­ed as endan­gered and declin­ing on the IUCN Red List, which states there are only currently 6,500 mature mammals. The species is also list­ed as endan­gered under the Com­mon­wealth Envi­ron­ment Pro­tec­tion and Bio­di­ver­si­ty Con­ser­va­tion Act 1999, and are pro­tect­ed in South Aus­tralia under the Nation­al Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.

Australian sea lions keeping warm on sand dunes of Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
An estimated 800 Australian sea lions call Kangaroo Island, South Australia, home. Source: Getty

“Seal Bay is the only colony where the species’ population vital rates (survival and reproductive rates) are being consistently monitored,” a Department for Environment and Water spokesperson told Yahoo.

“By scanning a sea lion’s microchip and entering that unique chip ID in the scientific app we use, we can access an individual’s life history including age and cohort, reproductive success, their temperament and more.”

The sea lion population is threatened by a range of factors, both natural and resulting from the environmental impact of humans.

They include “entanglements and interactions with commercial fisheries, habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbance including tourism,” the DEW spokesperson said, adding that to reduce the impact of sea lion interactions with tourists, the colony “is only accessible within a designated area”.

“When visiting Kangaroo Island you can do your bit by being mindful of your ecological footprint, picking up marine pollution on our beaches and visiting our breeding colony at Seal Bay to learn more about the species.”

The species is also “unique” in the fact that females have one of the longest pregnancies in mammals, almost 18 months. Meaning, that “even without the added pressure of current anthropogenic threats, it’ll take a much longer time for their population to recover”, Ms Wycherley said.

Along with disease, parasites, predation and prey availability — the cumulative impact of the threats, coupled with historic sealing, are reasons for why the species is endangered, authorities said.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.