Increasing pup production of New Zealand sea lions at Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku: can it continue?

Figures & data

Figure 1  Pup production estimates from Auckland Islands (1998–2010 [Chilvers 2011]) and completed pup production estimates Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku (2003–10).

Figure 2  Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku, showing all locations of pup and tagged New Zealand sea lion sightings from December 2009 to February 2010.

Table 1  Location and number of pups directly counted at various locations around Campbell Island (see Fig. 2), 18 December 2009 to 16 February 2010.

Location	Number tagged	Dead^1	Total
Davis Point	280	223	503
Paradise Point 1	20	33	54^2
Paradise Point 2	94	20	114
Moubray Castle	0	1	1
Hillside above Davis Point	1	0	1
Hillside above Garden Cove	1	0	1
Cattle Bay	1	0	1
Shoal Bay	1	0	1
Southeast Harbour	0	1	1
Tucker Cove	3	0	3
Beeman Base	1	0	1
Total	402	278	681
Notes: ^1Some tagged pups also died, but these are not included here to avoid counting the same individual twice; ^2includes one untagged pup seen alive at Paradise Point 1.

Table 2  Factors likely to have contributed to New Zealand sea lion pup deaths. Diagnoses were based on necropsies undertaken between 21 December 2009 and 13 January 2010 at Davies Point, Campbell Island.

Diagnoses	Contributing factor (n)
Trauma	22
Malnutrition	18
Hookworm	14
Infection	8
Exposure	5
Ulceration of the carpus	19

Figure 3  New Zealand sea lion pup at Davis Point showing ulceration of the carpus on the fore flippers. Photo: C. Muller.