Amazing news: sea lions haves made their way back to
New Zealand's mainland! For around 200 years, they had avoided the mainland due to human violence - and didn't feel safe returning until recently.
Now, the adorable, beloved creatures are turning up all along the coast - even, occasionally, in unexpected and goofy places like pools, outdoor furniture, and on golf courses. Now the New Zealand government must ramp up protections for these giant animals to ensure that populations remain stable. It's crucial that authorities don't allow this crucial step toward conservation to reverse!
Sign now to tell the New Zealand government to keep up the great work, and make sure that this key progress which protects sea lions does not backslide!New Zealand sea lions are the more rare species of sea lions in the entire world. They've bred along the coast of New Zealand for centuries - and potentially even thousands of years. But hunting drove them away. Faced with extinction, the majority of this rare sea lion species moved to the nearby group of New Zealand Subantarctic Islands to breed instead. Now, thanks to amazing efforts by conservationists, many are returning to the coast and mainland!
Sadly, sea lions are still at risk. About 10,000 of this species remain, and they still face heightened risks from fisheries, disease, and global climate change. The government needs to continue to protect key habitat areas, remove any barriers from breeding, and make sure that the species still has strong protections from illegal hunting. We must make sure that this success story isn't reversed, and New Zealand keeps up the amazing work of protecting its iconic sea lions!
If New Zealand's government takes the right steps, sea lions and humans can live harmoniously. It must ensure that this threatened animal populations can continue to rebound and ultimately stabilize after the devastating lows of the past centuries. We must encourage the country to not allow this progress to backslide, and to commit to habitat protection and safeguards against illegal hunting. Sign the petition now if you agree!