Taronga Zoo Sydney gets the seal of approval this International Seal Day with the recent birth of an endangered female Australian sea lion pup.

The female pup was born weighing 7kg on 31 January 2025, with Marine keepers eagerly monitoring first-time and wild-born mum Tarni via CCTV.

In 2017, Tarni arrived at Taronga Zoo Sydney to join the Australia Sea Lion breeding program after being rescued as an orphan in South Australia at only one-year-old, well under the required lactation period of 17.5 months.

“Initial bonding and learning what position to lay in for the pup to suckle took Tarni and the pup a little while to get the hang of, but both are now hitting the milestones we hope to see and are in great health,” said Senior Marine Keeper Lindsay Wright.

“This birth is a massive win to the regional breeding program conserving endangered Australian Sea lions as Tarni’s wild genetics are an important boost to the genetically robust zoo-bred population.”

Australian Sea lions are listed as Endangered, with an estimated 6,500 adults remaining in the wild. Major threats to their wild populations are interactions with fisheries, particularly gill nets, and entanglement with marine debris.

International Seal Day is celebrated annually on 22 March and is focused on protecting and conserving seals worldwide. An action to protect seals and marine life in the wild is as easy as choosing MSC-certified seafood to prevent overfishing and by-catch species.

“The now seven-week-old little pup is now weighing 14kg and is exploring deeper water bodies and learning to hold her breath for increasing periods of time.”

Sea lion pups are born not knowing how to swim. Under the watchful eye of Taronga Zoo’s Marine Keepers and with Tarni by her side, the pup is slowly being introduced to increased water depths until the pup has the confidence and swimming skills to take the plunge in the large habitat pools at the zoo’s Great Southern Oceans.

While Tarni and the pup remain behind-the-scenes earning their swimming flippers, guests to Taronga Zoo can learn about Australian Sea Lions and how to contribute to their conservation at Taronga’s daily Seals for the Wild Presentations, powered by Red Energy.