A New Zealand fur seal has been spotted hunting and catching an eel in a Christchurch river.
The seal was caught on video swimming up and down the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River in St Martins.
Sam Davidson filmed the event and posted it to social media on Saturday.
"Massive Seal surprised me alongside the river out of nowhere! Then I couldn’t believe what happened next," his post said.
People can be heard saying "what a catch" as they congratulate the eel on its prize.
Davidson told The Press he "saw this massive big, brown blob and it occurred to me it was a seal".
"It came right out of the water, it was amazing," he said.
Davidson followed the seal for about 1km. He watched it catch the eel then swallow it after a brief battle between the hunter and its prey.
New Zealand fur seals occasionally turn up in Christchurch rivers with about two or three sightings a year, the Department of Conservation says.
If you see a New Zealand fur seal, DOC recommends leaving it alone.
Photo: Sam Davidson / Facebook
Where to see a seal
Once near extinction due to widespread hunting, New Zealand fur seals are now experiencing a population comeback and recolonising much of their former range. This means we'll be seeing more of them playing along our rocky shorelines throughout mainland New Zealand, the Chatham Islands and the subantarctic islands.
From July to September each year there's an influx in adolescent seals appearing on our shores and further inland. This is because seal pups begin to wean as their mothers prepare for new pups.
Seals can wander as far as 15 km inland, often by following rivers and streams. They can appear in unusual places, such as a paddock, roadside or an inner-city street. This is a normal occurrence from exploratory behaviour.
Leave them alone
DOC takes a ‘hands off’ approach to seals. They are capable and resilient and given time and space, they usually find their way home.
Don't feed seals as they can become reliant on humans for food.
Seals are wild animals and will defend themselves if they feel threatened. Adult seals can move surprisingly quickly on land. While they can look harmless, seals can inflict serious injuries to dogs or people and can carry infectious diseases.
It is an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 to disturb, harass, harm, injure or kill a seal. A dog owner whose dog attacks a seal could face prosecution.
When DOC needs to intervene
There are exceptions to our ‘hands off' approach. DOC will intervene if a seal is:
- In notably poor condition.
- In immediate danger.
- Tangled in debris.
- Causing disruption, eg in the middle of a road.
- Being harassed.
- If you think the seal is in danger, injured or being harassed by people, dogs or other animals, call DOC's emergency hotline - 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
Source: www.doc.govt.nz
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