Foul play ruled out in deaths of Canterbury fur seals
Friday, 10 August 2018
Human interference played no part in the deaths of more than 40 New Zealand fur seals found washed up on a remote Banks Peninsula beach, conservation officials say.
A Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger found 41 dead seals high on the beach at Te Oka Bay on Sunday after being alerted by members of the public.
The bodies of six were sent for autopsy at Massey University, where a pathologist found they were too badly decomposed to confirm the cause of death.
DOC manager for Mahaanui Andy Thompson said foul play could be ruled out, with no signs of any human involvement such as bruising or penetrating wounds.
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The seals were found above the high tide mark and officials believe they may have died after being washed up by high seas.
'The report says it is possible these pups had died in a colony nearby and been washed up at Te Oka Bay in the large swells that occurred in a series of storms,' Thompson said.
'We think the seals had been there since early July. The most likely cause of death was heavy seas pounding the colony at that time when the seals were young and vulnerable and couldn't escape the big waves.'
The apparent beaching occurred on the southern side of Banks Peninsula, an area that is regularly exposed to heavy southerly swells.
DOC staff will continue to monitor the area for any unusual events that affect large numbers of seals.
About 8500 fur seals live and breed around the Te Oka Bay area. Fur seals are the most common seals in New Zealand and their population of more than 200,000 is growing.
In May last year, between 30 and 40 fur seal pups were found dead on the coastline just south of Ohau Point in Kaikoura.