Arctocephalus forsteri
New Zealand fur seals
The New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri ) is also known as Australian Fur Seal, but this can lead to confusion with a subspecies of the South African fur seals. It belongs to the genus of the Southern fur seals.
Features
The color of the New Zealand fur seal is gray-brown. Males also have a black neck mane. Bulls reach a size of 250 cm and a weight of 180 kg. Cows are 150 cm and 70 kg very much smaller.
Dissemination
The New Zealand fur seal lives today mainly on the coasts of the South Island of New Zealand, as well as on the coasts of southern and western Australia. Other colonies there are on the subantarctic Antipodes Islands, the Aucklandinseln, the Bounty Islands, Chatham Islands and Campbell Islands. A few hundred fur seals also live on the south coast of Tasmania.
Outside the mating season wander around New Zealand fur seals and then find themselves also in other places. In particular, the coasts of the Macquarie Island are annually filled with youthful Seebärenbullen who are still too young to claim a territory. Individual stray individuals it has slyly been to the coast of New Caledonia.
Stock development
The large colonies on the Australian and Tasmanian coasts were completely destroyed at the end of the 18th century. Then the sealers put the mass slaughter continues in New Zealand, where all colonies were destroyed until 1825. Only a few fur seals survived in caves that were not accessible to the sealers. Stocks of New Zealand's coasts include again today 60,000 animals annually and grow further. More recently, it came sporadically Young rearing on New Zealand's North Island, which could mean that the distribution area is also expanded geographically.
The holdings in Australia are estimated at 35,000. Here the New Zealand Fur Seal has a geographically larger area of distribution, the individual colonies are less extensive.
Threats and conservation
The New Zealand fur seal is listed in the Red List of endangered species by the World Conservation Union IUCN as not threatened (Least Concern ). However, he is listed as all kinds of its genus Arctocephalus in CITES Convention CITES Appendix II, which he is protected from unrestricted trade worldwide. This attitude is supported by the European Union in the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation ( EC) No 338/97 Appendix B adopted, automatically all EU Member States are obliged to protect. This is reflected in turn in the Federal Republic of Germany in the Federal Nature Conservation Act down, where the species is known to be particularly protected.