Shedd Aquarium Animal Rescue and Response Team Assists Alaska SeaLife Center with Second Chance for Abandoned Sea Otter Pup

A recognized leader in animal care and conservation, Shedd Aquarium has teamed up with Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) in Seward, Alaska to provide expert assistance with the rehabilitation and care for a rescued, orphaned Northern sea otter pup (Enhydra lutris kenyoni). Two members of the aquarium’s Animal Response Team have been working for weeks to provide around-the-clock care for the animal deemed non-releasable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The otter pup was admitted to ASLC’s Wildlife Response and Rehabilitation Program on March 18 and was estimated to be three weeks old and about 4.8 pounds. Currently weighing in at approximately 13 pounds, the male pup has been progressing well and hitting expected developmental milestones under the supervision and care of ASLC and Shedd animal care specialists. Young otters are dependent on their mothers to teach them the survival skills necessary to live in the wild, and typically stay with the mother for up to nine months.

“This little otter pup shows every indication of thriving under our care,” said Dr. Carrie Goertz, staff veterinarian at Alaska SeaLife Center. “It’s great to have support and engagement from partners like Shedd’s animal care staff to assist with rehabilitation efforts. Especially with this pup requiring 24-hour care, it helps in terms of personnel support and allows for an exchange of knowledge between our partners on how we can provide the best care.”

The pup has continued to achieve many important milestones and advance his skills which include eating solid foods such as clam, capelin and squid, grooming on his own, diving and more. In addition, he has lost most of his pup coat and has been teething, so he is very interactive with toys and ice. 

As the pup continues to progress and hit new milestones becoming more independent, animal care specialists will spend a large portion of their day observing his behavior to track milestones, ensuring he’s interacting with his environment in a safe way, and continuing to watching for health changes or patterns. 

“Many of the skills otter pups need to survive are taught, not instinctual, and since the mother isn’t here to teach him – we have to,” said Andrea Oake, animal care specialist at Shedd Aquarium. “An example of this is foraging; we will toss small food bits among ice and toys so he learns to search for it, or we’ll place toys that sink in the water so he can practice diving to retrieve them.”

ASLC is the only permitted marine mammal wildlife response and rehabilitation entity in Alaska. The center allows visitors to see response and rehabilitation in action in the “I.Sea.U” area. The otter pup is the second of two marine mammals to be admitted to ASLC since early March.

“Our responders are watching this season carefully to see if the trend in stranding’s continues resulting in year-round concern,” said Goertz. “It’s an issue that had been predominantly seasonal prior to 2015.”

There are only a handful of facilities in the United States with the available space, staff and experience to provide the appropriate care for stranded sea otters.

“Shedd’s Animal Response Team has been responding when animal are in urgent care for more than 50 years,” said Oake. “This positions us to use our expertise to work on saving this pup’s life by providing him with the care he needs.”

With a long history of involvement with marine wildlife rescue projects, Shedd Aquarium Animal Response Team is one of the first institutions to conduct training with sea otters to further their survival and care. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, Shedd participated in the wildlife recovery efforts and took in many orphaned pups. The aquarium is now recognized as an expert in rehabilitating sea otter pups. Nearly all of the sea otters residing in the Abbott Oceanarium at Shedd were rescued pups – three Northern and two Southern subspecies.

Shedd Aquarium’s Animal Response Team is supported by Dawn Dish Soap. With a shared mission of educating and inspiring the world about the wellbeing of animals, habitat conservation, and the health of our oceans, the company has helped rescue and release more than 75,000 wild animals affected by oil pollution for nearly 40 years.