At the Zoological Park of Paris, the South American fur seals live with another species, the South American sea lions. They also share the same habitat in the wild.
Profile
Least concern (LC)
Lifestyle
These social and gregarious animals live in colonies called rookeries. Hierarchical relations are very pronounced, with males actively defending their territory.
Distinctive features
As with other seals, sexual dimorphism is pronounced, with males being significantly heavier and larger than females.
Anecdote
The males are polygamous and can look after harems of up to 10 females.
The sea lion colony
GET TO KNOW THE SEA LION COLONY
The colony of sea lions at the Paris Zoological Park is made up of seven individuals belonging to two species. Nora, Ela, Portos, Aramis and little Naya, born in July 2020, are maned sea lions; Quito and Jaci are two southern fur seals. The latter joined the former in February 2019 and the group lives together peacefully.
In the wild, maned and southern fur seals live side by side because they share the same territory - the coasts of Peru, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay - and have a very similar fish-eating diet. The Parc Zoologique de Paris is the only zoo to have both species of sea lion in the same tank.
