Hefty Reward Offered for Clues in Sea Lion Killings in The Catlins

A significant reward of $12,000 is now on the table for information leading to the conviction of individuals responsible for the brutal killings of three sea lions in The Catlins, a remote area in New Zealand's lower South Island.

Recently, the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust announced the extension of the reward to include a third incident, where a young female sea lion was found stabbed and later euthanized in November. The discovery of human-induced injuries on the third sea lion has intensified concerns over the growing threat to these vulnerable animals.

The first incident involved a baby female sea lion shot and left to die in The Catlins Estuary in September 2024. Two weeks later, her mother, known as Jade, was found dead, also likely shot. The third incident involved a young female sea lion discovered in November at Waipati Beach, where she had suffered severe injuries consistent with a human stabbing.

Jordana Whyte, a spokesperson for the Sea Lion Trust, expressed deep concern over the violence inflicted on the animals. "It was quite awful and very confronting for those who went to her aid. She was, it appears, stabbed twice and the injuries were quite significant," she said. Whyte also noted that while the connection between the first two killings remains unclear, the third incident may or may not be linked.

The area where the third sea lion was found is rarely visited by the public, making monitoring efforts difficult. "It was actually incredibly fortunate that someone came across her," Whyte said. "It can't be just us, and it can't just be DOC or police, it has to be the whole community effort to make sure that our coastlines are safe for sea lions."

The Sea Lion Trust emphasized that the deaths of three adult females are a significant blow to the species, which has a very slow reproduction rate. "This is a really, really slow-growing species in terms of reproducing," Whyte explained. "Losing three females in particular was a huge blow."

Volunteers and conservationists are urging the public to come forward with any information that could help bring the perpetrators to justice. "We're all volunteers at the trust to look after these animals and to have somebody to do that in such a violent way that allowed the animal to suffer was just awful," Whyte added.

Anyone with information about the three sea lion deaths is encouraged to contact the Sea Lion Trust, local police, or the Department of Conservation. The community's involvement remains crucial in protecting these marine mammals and ensuring their survival.