In early September, the Alaska Sea Life Center (ASLC) responded to a call to rescue a young sea otter found clinging to its lifeless mother on a remote beach on the Kenai Peninsula. With no knowledge of what killed the mother, and no assurance the pup would survive, the ASLC took in the pup and provided round-the-clock care to save him. Almost immediately, Shedd Aquarium joined efforts by sending team members to work alongside the ASLC team to save the pup. Shedd committed to providing him with long-term care among their cohort of rescued otters.
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In late October, the pup – who became known by the name Qilak – moved to Shedd Aquarium. Qilak quickly formed trusting relationships with his care team. He integrated smoothly with Shedd’s older female sea otter, Luna, and young male, Watson. These introductions occurred only after Qilak passed through a quarantine period which included thorough medical examinations.
This week, Qilak was sedated for a medical concern by Shedd’s experienced team of veterinarians. During this procedure, Qilak experienced a cardiac event from which he did not recover. Although Qilak has received periodic sedation in the past as part of routine care and historically recovered uneventfully, this time was different.
Like in humans, anesthetic procedures always carry inherent risks and are a necessary part of complete medical examinations for much of the wildlife in our care. We hope to learn more, through a thorough necropsy and histopathology report, about why this young otter passed.
We don’t know the story of Qilak’s first chapter. How, in his first two months he lived in the Cook Inlet and what challenges he faced, or what caused his mother to die. What we do know, with certainty, is that the people at ASLC and Shedd who cared for Qilak gave every bit of their extensive compassion and expertise to first rescue, then raise, an animal facing certain death. When we rescue a wild animal, we take a leap of faith that we can understand and treat whatever compromised the animal’s ability to thrive in the wild. We will always say “yes” - no matter the odds.
We are grateful for the opportunity to rescue wildlife in need. We are grateful for our unique experience and resources, built over decades of caring for rescued animals. We are grateful for people everywhere who care about the fate of aquatic life, in our care and in the wild, who never cease efforts to protect these animals and the places they call home. Finally, we are grateful for your support and understanding. Even as we grieve Qilak’s loss we turn to otters Suri, Willow, Cooper, Watson, and Luna. We recommit to their care and promise to say “yes” the next time we are called upon.
This article was guest-authored by Peggy Sloan, Chief Animal Operations Officer at Shedd Aquarium.