The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is taking care of a sea otter female pup. Earlier, the pup, which was found alone on a California beach, was under the care of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California.
It remained there for the first four weeks of its life. On September 30, one-week old sea otter pup was found stranded on Coastways Beach in California. A passerby found her and was rescued with the help of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otters Program.
Tim Binder, Shedd’s vice-president of collection planning, said, “The animal was found by a woman jogging who heard her crying”.
It is said that the pup was separated for at least 16 hours from her mother at the time of rescue. It has spent four weeks under the observation of scientists of the Sea Otters Program. Currently, animal care experts and veterinarians are helping and teaching the pup to groom and feed itself.
The pup is also being taught how to regulate the body temperature by getting in and out of the water. Due to the efforts of experts, the pup was able to thrive and is now at the Shedd Aquarium as part of a 30-year effort to rescue vulnerable sea otters found along the coast of California.
Currently, the pup is called ‘Pup 681′. As per experts, the aquarium became involved in the rehabilitation program of sea otters after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill incident in which many pups were orphaned.
Binder affirmed that Shedd has four sea otters and they want to increase the number. The pup has not been introduced to others yet. Binder said that they have been video-documenting the pup’s development. They are hopeful to present something about the pup to people in the coming times.
Rescued Sea Otter Female Pup Learning Survival Instincts at Shedd Aquarium
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