Taronga Zoo’s Sea Lion Pup Takes First Swim

On Wednesday, Taronga Zoo’s endangered sea lion pup, only nine weeks old, made its first public plunge.

The Australian female pup has yet to be named, and she needed a little encouragement from her mother, Tarni, who guided her pup through the water with a series of short barks.

After entering and gliding through the water with bursts of energy, the pup spent the afternoon sleeping and sunbathing. Brad McKenzie, a marine supervisor at Taronga Zoo, viewed this as a good sign.

“All pups are different, and this one was very confident,” McKenzie said.

“All we can do is put her in the best position to build those skills, and Mum has a watchful eye over everything – she really wanted her into the water, and any time she popped up, Mum wanted her back in there.”

First birth to wild-born sea lions in eight years

The pup, who was born on January 31, marked the first of an endangered Australian sea lion from wild-born parents in eight years. Tarni, orphaned in 2017 on Baird Beach, was bred with Charlie, a 19-year-old who has already fathered four other sea lions.

Since this was Tarni’s first pup, it took a few days for her maternal instincts to kick in, which in turn had the zookeepers, who were desperate to see Tarni and her pup thrive, anxiously waiting.

“She really didn’t know what to do at the start, and there was not a lot for us to guide her on, but those instincts took a couple of days for her to be settled,” McKenzie said. “She’s just been the best mum [since] – so doting on her in everything she does and always has an eye on her.”

Australian sea lions are unique in that they are the only species of their kind that are endemic to Australia, with only 6500 adults estimated to be in the wild. The biggest threats facing them currently are marine debris and entanglement with gill nets.

The best time to see Tarni and her pup will be in the morning at the Seal Cove habitat of Taronga Zoo.