Ōamaru sea lion shootings

The story so far

Three endangered New Zealand sea lions were shot at the mouth of the Waitaki River, near Ōamaru, on a Saturday.^{10, 11 Aug 2025} Two of the animals died and the third was injured and later euthanised.^{10, 11 Aug 2025} A local man reported that some sea lions in the colony were almost tame and approached people and dogs.^{10 Aug 2025} Police in Ōamaru and the Department of Conservation are both appealing to the public for information to identify those responsible.^{10, 11 Aug 2025}

Latest

The Department of Conservation has joined police in appealing for public information about the shooting.^{11 Aug 2025}

What's next

Police are carrying out post-mortem examinations to confirm the cause of death.^{10 Aug 2025}

Key moments

1. 10 Aug 2025Two sea lions killed and third injured in Waitaki River mouth shooting.
2. 10 Aug 2025Local man says some colony sea lions were almost tame, approaching people and dogs.
3. 10 Aug 2025Oamaru police appeal to public to help identify those responsible.
4. 11 Aug 2025Department of Conservation calls the sea lion shootings deliberate and appeals for information.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.