Orphaned sea otter found alone in Alaska was rescued. See the ‘adorable’ patient
An orphaned sea otter pup discovered alone on an Alaska beach is now getting 24/7 care, rescuers said.
The young otter “was found unusually far from the water during low tide, and his mother was nowhere in sight,” the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward said in July 1 update on its website.
“After hours alone, birds began to approach the vulnerable pup,” ASLC said.
The sea otter was spotted by a community member in Homer, rescuers said.
The concerned resident phoned the center’s stranded marine animal hotline, which is open 24 hours a day, “and the team knew they needed to act,” according to ASLC.
The pup was taken to Seward, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s authorization, rescuers said.
The center’s wildlife response team “is currently providing round-the-clock care to give the recently admitted pup the strongest chance at survival,” rescuers said.
The otter, estimated to be 2 weeks old, is “showing encouraging signs” under the care, wildlife response curator Jane Belovarac said, per the update. Belovarac added that, “he’s alert, taking the bottle well, and has already started practicing holding his breath while in the water, which is a great early milestone.”
ASLC said he’s being watched for issues caused by eating new food.
The center shared video of the “adorable” pup on its Facebook page.
The center has 12 patients admitted, including a female sea otter pup found in Homer, it said.
Homer is about a 225-mile drive southwest from Anchorage.
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