Your morning adorable: Endangered Australian sea lion pup debuts at Taronga Zoo

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Australia’s Taronga Zoo is celebrating the birth of an endangered Australian sea lion. The female pup, who was born in late January, is the first of her species to be born at the zoo in seven years and just recently made her debut in its marine exhibit. She doesn’t yet have a name.

Her mother, Kira, has been eagerly showing her the ropes, but the pup still has a lot to learn about the fine art of swimming. According to the zoo’s marine mammal supervisor Danielle Fox, the baby has ‘a preference for belly flopping into the pool and when she gets tired, she takes a break by leaning up against [Kira] or splashes around in the shallow end.’

‘The arrival of a strong, healthy pup was quite a cause for celebration,’ Fox said. Australian sea lion births are rare and they have an unusually long gestation period, reportedly up to 18 months long. There are thought to be as few as 10,000 Australian sea lions left in the world.

Another photo of the pup exploring her new habitat after the jump!

-- Lindsay Barnett