Dunedin drivers are being warned to watch out for sea lions on the road as the endangered species increasingly ventures into urban areas with a marine scientist warning it is "only a matter of time" until someone is killed in a crash.
The New Zealand Sea Lion Trust said it was now receiving daily reports of the endangered species on roads or roadsides around the lower South Island, adding this would likely become more common.
Two pakake pups were killed by cars last month - one in the Catlins and another on Otago Peninsula.
Dunedin City Council's Hearings Committee last week recommended lowering the speed limit on Taieri Mouth Rd south of Brighton from 100km/h to 80km/h, partly in response to sea lion activity in the area. The full council was yet to approve or reject the recommendation.
Two pups were killed by cars last month, and a marine scientist said it is "only a matter of time" until a human is killed too. (Source: 1News)
Councillor Mickey Treadwell said visibility was poor on that stretch of road.
"There's a high likelihood of fatality if your car hit a 150kg pakake on a motorway — there's not a lot of room to swerve."
New Zealand Sea Lion Trust marine scientist Shaun McConkey told 1News the animals were often not scared of human interaction.
“I've seen sea lions stand in front of buses, tractors, all sorts of large vehicles, and it doesn't seem to bother them at all.”
Most were now found in the Subantarctic islands, but the population around Dunedin was restoring, the trust said.
“This year for the first time, we passed 35 pups, which is the first step to becoming a breeding colony,” McConkey said. Adult males could weigh up to 450kg.
Pakake were once widespread along the South Island coastlines and parts of the North Island, but heavy hunting diminished their population, making them one of the rarest sea lion species in the world.
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