Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Napier's seal pup is in danger of becoming reliant on humans

Hawkes Bay Today
17 Aug, 2018 04:53 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

DoC is asking the public not to feed seals because this keneko pup is becoming reliant on humans for food. Photo / Supplied

DoC is asking the public not to feed seals because this keneko pup is becoming reliant on humans for food. Photo / Supplied

The Department of Conservation is asking people not to feed a seal pup that has been hanging around Napier's inner harbour.

DoC says the kekeno, or New Zealand fur seal, has been hand-fed over the past three weeks, and is beginning to rely on humans as a result.

Ahuriri-Napier acting operations manager Moana Smith-Dunlop said this is detrimental to the seal, as well as being dangerous to humans and dogs.

"This pup is starting to rely on humans to feed it, which will be a problem when it is older because it won't be able to fend for itself.

"Dead fish and high-energy human food are not treats, they disrupt the kekeno's natural diet and behaviour."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Smith-Dunlop said the seal will also go after bait on fishing lines when people are not around to feed it, which could result in fish hooks getting stuck in its mouth.

Kekeno also posed a risk to humans.

"Kekeno will bite if they feel threatened, and the bacteria in their mouth can cause quite nasty infections."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

DoC's recommendation was that people stay at least 20m away from seals. They can inflict serious injuries to humans and dogs.

There was expected to be an influx of keneko pups and juveniles appearing on land until the end of September as they wean from their mothers.

DoC takes a hands-off approach when it comes to seals, because they are resilient and will normally find their way home if given time and space.

However, DoC rangers will intervene if the kekeno is in notably poor condition, immediate danger, tangled in debris, causing disruption or being harassed by people or dogs.

If people are worried about a seal being in danger, injured or harassed by people or dogs they should call the emergency hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

It is an offence to disturb, harass, harm, injure or kill a seal. Dog owners can be prosecuted if their dog attacks a seal.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Hawke’s Bay club rugby: Napier’s McLean Park to host 3 finals

11 Jul 04:03 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Fire in Flaxmere garage sends plume of black smoke skyward

11 Jul 01:10 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Mahia Hunt holds final fixture after marking 125th anniversary

10 Jul 09:05 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawke’s Bay club rugby: Napier’s McLean Park to host 3 finals

Hawke’s Bay club rugby: Napier’s McLean Park to host 3 finals

11 Jul 04:03 AM

Two Māori All Blacks to play in Maddison Trophy final.

Fire in Flaxmere garage sends plume of black smoke skyward

Fire in Flaxmere garage sends plume of black smoke skyward

11 Jul 01:10 AM
Mahia Hunt holds final fixture after marking 125th anniversary

Mahia Hunt holds final fixture after marking 125th anniversary

10 Jul 09:05 PM
Premium
The humour history of Don Martin: Wyn Drabble

The humour history of Don Martin: Wyn Drabble

10 Jul 07:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP