LIVE SEA LEOPARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 145, 21 June 1926, Page 5

LIVE SEA LEOPARD.

CAPTURED FOR ZOO,

STRAXDKD NEAR OTAHUHU.

A sea leopard was caught on the mud flats of the Manukau Harbour, near Otahuhu, yesterday afternoon, and taken to the Zoo. It is a robust specimen, of ten feet, and set a difficult task far its captors when they went to catch it,

On Saturday and Sunday the sea leopard was stranded on the flats at the btfck of Wright, Stephenson and (ompany'a fertiliser works, and its capture attracted much interest from the residents of Otahuhu. They first saw it on Saturday morning, and Mr. Munro communicated with the Zoo authorities. By Sunday the strange visitor had made its way close to the shore, and was covered with mud. Mr. T. Aldridge, superintendent of the Zoo. went out with a lorry ■to capture it, and was assisted in his task by Messrs. J. L. Fitzwilliaiqs, G. Coldteutt and H, Andrews. The men drove it to land, after evading frequent snaps and vicious attacks, and it was finally trapped in a net. The struggles of the animal continued when it was being lifted on to the lorry and started its jomuey to town.

Arriving at the Zoo late in the afternoon, the sea leopard was placed in the seal pond, and was swimming about today in evident contentment, except that it refused to eat. The authorities are unable to say yet whether it will settle to its new environment and accept the food available. Penguins and other bird life form the daily iare of sea leopards in tho cold regions, and the present speeijnent would not accept lisli a= a substitute when "this was offered to it today.

It is not unusual for a sea leopard to be found on the shores of the North Island. About six ar seven years ago a fine specimen was stranded in the Miinukau Harbour, and was riddled with, bullets by residents in the neighbourhood of its stranding, The dead sea lion was handed tq the Museum authorities, who stuffed and mounted it, Properly dressed, it presented an excellent appearance, and is now included in the Museum collection. It is 12ft in length. The. live specimen now at t'>e Zoo is about 10ft long, and 4ft in girth. It appears well nourished.