New Zealand Sea Lion Family Tree

What you see here is the elegant result of research lead by Shaun McConkey. This is a family tree of the individual sea lions currently populating the South Island of New Zealand. Those in red are deceased. Shaun has identified the vulnerable and rare sea lions of the Otago coast. He does this through combinations of photo and video identification, DNA sampling and an ongoing survey of habitat used by these animals.
What blows my mind is that one animal makes the difference. One female, nicknamed 'Mum' decided that it was worth trying to raise a pup a year along the Otago coast. Now there's a chance that this one individual's efforts will pay off, that a real colony will be established. What made her come back to New Zealand instead of living out her life in the Sub Antarctic Islands? That is a mystery. But what a wonderful thing, to have the New Zealand Sea lion back on the mainland.