Males of the African subspecies (A. p. pusillus) are 2.3 m (7.5 ft) in length on average and weigh 200–300 kg (440–660 lb).

A recent incident occurred off Cape Point, South Africa, where a large male was observed attacking and killing five blue sharks between 1.0 and 1.4 m long.

Observers concluded that the seal likely killed the sharks to eat the fish-rich contents of their stomachs, as well as their livers, as a source of energy.

[10] African land-based predators, primarily of pups, include black-backed jackals, brown hyenas and occasionally lions[11] on the Skeleton Coast in Namibia.

In addition, seagulls and other seabirds are thought to peck the eyes out of baby seals, especially sick or injured individuals, to render them helpless and disabled, as they begin to feast on their flesh.

[18] This difference in response is suspected because the threat posed by a stranger is unknown and potentially greater than their neighbor, which they would have previously encountered while establishing their territories.

[19][20] Brown fur seals often gather into colonies on rookeries in numbers ranging from 500 to 1500, at least for the Australian subspecies.

Brown fur seals begin to breed in the middle of October, when males haul out on shore to establish territories though display, vocalisations, sparring, and sometimes actual combat.

For the Australian fur seals, 82% of copulations are performed by males whose territories are located directly at the water's edge.

[9] Copulation between the male and his females begins 6 days after they give birth to their pups conceived from the previous year.

[9] After mating, females begin alternating brief periods of foraging at sea with several days ashore nursing their pups.

They swim around divers for periods of several minutes at a time, even at a depth of 60 m. On land, they are far less relaxed and tend to panic when humans come near them.

Seal hunting stopped in Australia in 1923, and their population is still recovering, causing increasing friction with South Australian fishermen as their range expands.

Permits are issued for the killing of pups for their luxurious fur and adult males for their genitalia, which are considered an aphrodisiac in some countries.

[23] In January 2023, media reports indicated that seals have been attacking humans in South Africa, particularly in Cape Town area.

Some attribute the aggressive behaviour to the surge of toxic red tide algae, fuelled by pollution and climate change.

[30] The organization monitors the coast regularly but their founder, Naude Dreyer, told reporters of drastically declining numbers of seals as pollution continues to increase.