Video: The Shedd Just Took In A Teeny Orphaned Otter Pup

By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 16, 2016 9:53PM



Pup 719 behind the scenes at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (©Monterey Bay Aquarium, photo by Tyson Rininger)

An orphaned southern sea otter pup from California has found a permanent home at the Shedd Aquarium, the Shedd announced in a statement Tuesday. Currently called “Pup 719,” the 10-week-old female pup is living mostly behind the scenes right now, adjusting to her new home.

Pup 719 first arrived at the Shedd on Jan. 27, after a few weeks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Researchers from that aquarium found her alone on Carmel Beach on Jan. 6, and took her in when they couldn’t track down her mother.

Like Luna, the stranded sea otter pup who arrived at the Shedd in 2014 and quickly captured our hearts, she currently requires basically round-the-clock care—stranded sea otter pups are not so different from human babies! But the Shedd is handling it with a rotating team of otter pros.

The pup may have been stranded due to this year’s “Godzilla El Niño,” which has caused an unusual number of ocean storms that may have helped separate the pup from her mother, the Shedd statement pointed out.

Climate change is too dark of a note to end an animal post on, though—so let's close with this with a shot of live-action Pup 719 frolicking...

...and a chaser of Pup 719 drinking out of what looks like a baby bottle.