Arrr, them California aquarium be matchin' lost sea pups with new mamas to keep 'em afloat! Arrr!
2024-04-17
Arrr, ye scurvy dogs! Two California aquariums be takin' in wee sea otter pups and matchin' 'em with surrogate mamas to help 'em thrive. Aye, 'tis a heartwarming tale of love on the high seas!
In the language of a 17th-century pirate, me hearties, every year, around 10 to 15 sea otter pups be found stranded off the California coast, often due to storms that separate mother and offspring. Arrr!The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach be partnerin' with the Monterey Bay Aquarium to pair pups with surrogate sea otter mothers with the hope of teachin' them life skills and returnin' them to the wild. Yo ho ho!As part of the program, the aquarium has successfully bonded their first surrogate mom, called Ellie, and a currently unnamed pup. Shiver me timbers!"That mom is goin' to teach them all the behaviors that we cannot teach, being people," said Megan Smylie, the sea otter program manager at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Avast!California sea otters be a protected species, mateys. After bein' relentlessly hunted for their unique fur, they were thought to be extinct until a colony of 50 was found off the coast of Big Sur in the 1930s. Ahoy!The sea otters be important for protectin' California's near-shore ecosystems and bein' a critical predator in keepin' the balance of nature. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!The two aquariums be rescuin' stranded pups and hopin' other organizations can join the effort to increase the otter population in the wild. This be a noble cause, me hearties. Arrr!