MUSEUM CAMPUS — The Shedd Aquarium is nursing a new, orphaned sea otter pup after she was found off the coasts of California.
The 10-week-old, 11-pound sea otter pup found near Monterey, Calif. is the third southern sea otter to reside at the Shedd, 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive. For now she is named "Pup 719," a reference to the number of the threatened otters rescued by the Monterey Bay Aquarium since 1984.
Shedd officials, who received the pup last month from the California aquarium, believe January's heavy storms associated with El Niño might have separated the aquarium's new otter from her mother.
“We might be facing record numbers of southern sea otter strandings that may be associated with storms caused by El Niño, our role as stewards and caretakers for these animals is as critical as ever,” Karl Mayer, animal care coordinator for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Program, said in a statement Tuesday.
Found at four weeks old, the pup can now eat solid food such as shrimp and clams, forage for food, groom herself and interact with Shedd’s animal care team. The new pup follows the adoption of Luna, another Shedd otter known for her basketball skills. The Shedd is one of 12 institutions in North America that house rescued sea otters.
Watch the new pup in the pool here:
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