Abstract
Human – leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) cohabitation is occurring in New Zealand as thousands of encounters have been recorded in recent years. Reports of people fearing leopard seal attacks, of property damage caused by leopard seals, and of leopard seals being harassed by people, highlight the possibility for the wellbeing of both people and seals to be negatively impacted by cohabitation. Reports of people enjoying the presence of leopard seals also highlight the potential for cohabitation to improve human wellbeing. The wellbeing of both people and seals must be a priority and this can best be supported by management which reduces the perception of negative impacts and increases the perception of positive impacts. Thus, this research aimed to identify the impacts perceived by humans and leopard seals during cohabitation in New Zealand and the contextual dimensions which may relate to the perception of such impacts. Three studies were conducted to address this aim. The first study utilised observations of 30 leopard seals hauled out on beaches; the second utilised 75 eyewitness accounts of the behaviour of a resident leopard seal during encounters in urban areas; the third utilised 296 surveys of stakeholders who live alongside a resident leopard seal.
This research found that leopard seals are likely disturbed by human activity and their wellbeing may be negatively impacted. They responded differently to people and dogs, and their behaviour changed with the distance of approach. This suggests human activity should be limited near leopard seals to ensure their wellbeing. This study did not record any attempt by a leopard seal to make physical contact with a person or dog when they were on land or in the water. Human safety was only threatened in one unique scenario where a seal punctured an occupied dinghy. The behaviour of the seal, in this case, was likely related to the event’s specific context. Despite the lack of aggression recorded, many interviewees and almost half of survey participants considered leopard seals as a potential threat to human safety. Threat was reported significantly more by those with low tolerance of leopard seals and those who used a specific marina. Property damage and interruption of activity were also commonly reported negative impacts, though it was unclear whether these reports were due to experience or apprehension. Positive impacts such as the enjoyment of encounters with leopard seals were also reported. Positive impacts were reported significantly more by those who had mutualistic wildlife value orientations and who had positive opinions of leopard seals.
These results suggest that management of human activity near leopard seals and attitudes towards leopard seals could help to improve the wellbeing of humans and leopard seals cohabitating in New Zealand. Future research will be required to investigate the events which involve dinghy users, property damage, and interruption of activity. This research was successful in providing important insights into the perceived impacts of cohabitation and demonstrates the potential for similar research to support the wellbeing of people and wildlife worldwide.