I had the privilege to go to Kangaroo Island July 2017 and see them in the wild. Australian sea lions are part of a group known as ?eared? seals. They use their front flippers to prop themselves up and their back flippers to help them to ?walk? on land. In the water their back flippers act as a rudder. These fascinating creatures are one of the rarest species in the world and their entire population is estimated to be less than 12,000. Of these, 85 percent live in South Australia and the other 15 percent in Western Australia.