Rescued Sea Otter Pup Finds New Home at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium

The 8-week-old pup, found alone in Alaska, will serve as an ambassador for his species after receiving round-the-clock care.

An 8-week-old sea otter pup, found alone and malnourished in the remote town of Seldovia, Alaska, has been taken in by Chicago's Shedd Aquarium.
The pup, currently known as Pup EL2306, was taken to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward before being transferred to Shedd, one of the few facilities in the U.S. with the resources to care for rescued otters.
The pup is being cared for round-the-clock by the Shedd team, including feeding and grooming, as sea otters have a very dense coat that they use to keep warm.
The pup will remain in Shedd's Regenstein Sea Otter Nursery for a few months, building bonds with the staff, before being introduced to the otter habitat and the five other otters at the aquarium.
Rescued pups are usually designated by the federal government as non-releasable, and the Shedd experts said pups need their mothers for the first year of life. The pup will serve as an ambassador for his species at the aquarium.