Discovered by a jogger who heard her crying, a week-old baby
otter weighing 2.2 pounds was found on Coastways Beach in California. After four
weeks of intensive care and stabilization at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pup 681
was transferred to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago where she could now receive
round-the-clock care.
Shedd Aquarium
Weighing in at just under six (6) pounds and at a length of
22.6 inches upon her arrival, Pup 681 is now being taught how to be an otter by the animal care experts at Shedd who are making sure that she eats, grooms herself, and sleeps.
Currently her diet consists of instant formula, shrimp and clam. Pup 681 will
receive a new name and join four other otters in the Regenstein Sea Otter
habitat at Shedd once she is ready.
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| Pup 681 Photo: Shedd Aquarium |
Sea otters are the heaviest member of the weasel family but are among the smallest of marine mammals. Native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean, the sea otter's incredibly thick coat of fur is their principal form of insulation. Adult sea otters range in weight between 31 and 99 pounds with the males weighing more than the females.
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Such beautiful creatures. What an awesome job it would be to nurse her back to health!
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with this little otter when I saw it. Nursing her back to health would have to be so rewarding. We had previously been to the Shedd Aquarium shortly following the birth of a Beluga whale in 2007, and they had just begun to allow the public in to see it. Thanks you for stopping by the blog!
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