By RNZ
A leopard seal which hundreds of spectators visited has died, a Hutt City councillor says.
The female leopard seal was spotted two weeks ago lounging on Petone Beach, with some concerns members of the public were harassing the animal.
Councillor Brady Dyer said the seal died on Sunday night and will be removed by the Department of Conservation (DoC) on Monday.
Conservationists echoed the news on social media, saying they suspected the seal looked unwell.
DoC acting operations manager Olivia Keane said the female rāpoka/leopard seal was found dead in the Hutt River on Saturday afternoon.
Keane said the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) had been informed and would be testing for H5 bird flu.
“DoC is working alongside Taranaki Whānui on next steps, including the removal and burial to ensure tikanga is observed.”
– RNZ