New Zealand Sea Lion Phocarctos hookeri

The New Zealand Sea Lion is endemic to southern New Zealand, rare and highly endangered. After being driven nearly to extinction by subsistence hunting and commercial harvesting ("sealing", for both NZ Sea Lions and NZ Fur Seals) up to the end of the 19th century, it has begun to recover in its breeding grounds on the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell islands and to a limited return to Stewart (where photo above taken) and even the South islands. Adult females can grow to some 6 feet long and have cream or light beige coats. Adult males, as above, have dark brown coats with a thick, dark, coarse mane (seen drying above) and can grow to nearly 12 feet long (and weigh up to 450kg, well over twice the weight of females).