A newborn leopard seal that was left for dead on Dunedin's St Kilda beach has been removed to be euthanised after its mother left the pup on its own.
The pup was born on Tuesday and was found by a local beachgoer who saw the mother giving birth.
"The mother had left it in the shallows and it was just trying to learn how to breathe I guess," Local Dalton Williams says.
"The water was getting in its face. I thought, I wouldn't want water in my face when I'm trying to breathe, so [I] pulled it out.
"It's an amazing experience. I'm glad I've been a part of it even though it's ending like this."
Authorities, including the Department of Conservation (DOC) and marine biologists, carried out an assessment on the pup and determined it would have to be put down.
"The pup was still in good condition [on Wednesday morning] but she hadn't fed in a long time and she also was breathing quite laboured," NIWA Marine biologist Krista Hupman says.
"For this pup to have a chance of survival it would need to be able to suckle and the vet assessment has shown that that's not a possibility."
The seal's birth on mainland New Zealand is rare and Ms Hupman adds it's only the second record she's ever heard of a leopard seal giving birth here.
"These animals are normally giving birth on the Antarctic ice or sometimes sub-Antarctic Islands," she says.
"We're getting more and more evidence through our research that these animals actually do come here with a purpose.
"Now with an animal breeding here, it's changing the way that we're thinking about the animals in New Zealand."
The local iwi and DOC will decide what happens to the pup's body after it is put down.
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