An orphaned sea otter pup is learning the skills needed to survive in the wild from one of the Aquarium of the Pacific’s resident adult sea otters.
The two otters have been paired together as part of the Sea Otter Surrogacy program, a joint effort between the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Monterey Bay Aquarium that began in the 1980s to rescue and rehabilitate stranded sea otter pups before releasing them back into the wild.
An important aspect of the program is pairing juvenile sea otters with adult females of their species who can teach them the necessary skills needed in their natural habitat.
The sea otter pup will be transferred to the aquarium’s main sea otter enclosure on Tuesday, Dec. 28.
“Staff interaction with the orphaned otters in the surrogacy program will need to be minimal, and staff will need to wear special suits that distort the human form so these pups have a better chance at surviving in the wild,” Brett Long, Aquarium of the Pacific curator of marine mammals and birds, said in a statement.
This baby sea otter was rescued off the coast of Pismo beach by staff from The Marine Mammal Center’s field office in Morro Bay before being transferred to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
According to a press release by the Aquarium of the Pacific, government wildlife officials said that the sea otter pup would die if released.
Although minimal human interaction is the goal, staff does have to feed the 14-week-old pup every one to three hours.
“When he arrived at the Aquarium a few weeks ago, he weighed about ten pounds. He is eating well and is now up to 16 pounds,” Long said in a statement.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is building a surrogacy area at its Molina Animal Care Center that will be able to accommodate three to four orphaned sea otter pups every year. It is also developing learning material to inform the public about the surrogacy program and the ecological importance of sea otters.
Those who wish to donate to the rehabilitation of sea otter pups can do so by visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific’s website or calling (562) 951-1701.
