Kōanga was chosen for its double meaning - “joy” or “spring”.
He was given his name by iwi collective Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika when he stopped in Wellington at the start of September.
Leopard seal researcher Tineke Joustra said once a seal was given a name “people tend to look after them a lot better”.
Kōanga arrived at Scarborough on October 21. Wildlife volunteers put out DOC signs warning onlookers to keep 20m away from him.
Joustra thanked the volunteers for monitoring Kōanga.
“Those guys were there, religiously sitting there, watching and looking after him.”
Joustra said leopard seals are unlikely to be dangerous to the public.
“They have got an unjustified bad reputation,“ she said.
“If they do get harassed, they seem to try and leave to go back into the water.
“They are a very special species. Anything we can do to increase people caring for leopard seals is a good opportunity.”
-By Dylan Smits
