Attack on blue penguin by a New Zealand fur seal

Abstract

A free-ranging New Zealand fur seal (Actocephalus forsteri), considered a sub-adult male based on size, was observed and photographed on 15 July 2010 in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, attacking a blue penguin (Eudyptula minor), likely an adult. While fur seals of various species are known to feed on penguins, most published data originate from dietary analyses rather than direct observations. New Zealand fur seals are rarely encountered within the Hauraki Gulf and while marine birds are considered to form a minor part of their diet, this record acts as the first documented observation of an attack on a blue penguin within this region and only the second published record within New Zealand waters involving these two species. The carcass of the penguin was not consumed but instead manipulated before being subsequently abandoned. Injuries sustained by the penguin were consistent with those inflicted by terrestrial mammalian carnivores considered important predators of blue penguin.