CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Two 9-month-old otters, both of whom were originally found stranded in California when they were only weeks old, have arrived at the Shedd Aquarium.
The two new additions are temporarily being referred to as Otter 926 and Otter 929.
Officials said the otters would be raised at Shedd and trained to become surrogate mothers. As surrogates, they'll fill an important role as they teach other rescued, orphaned otter pups critical life skills — such as how to survive cold ocean temperatures or how best to dive for food.
Otters 926 and 929 came to Shedd from the Aquarium of the Pacific, which is a partner institution of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Surrogacy Program.
The Shedd Aquarium is the first inland aquarium to provide a temporary home for Monterey Bay’s conservation program for the endangered species.
“Once found from the Baja peninsula all the way to Japan, sea otters were nearly hunted to extinction for their fur and their path to recovery remains long and uncertain,” said Jess Fuiji, manager for the sea otter program at Monterey Bay.
Shedd’s Chief Animal Operations Officer Peggy Sloan said the Chicago aquarium has historically been a home for otters unable to return to the wild.
“As the aquatic animal world continues to grapple with the effects of climate change and widespread biodiversity loss, this shift is one way we can support solutions to bolster endangered populations in the wild,” Sloan said.
Shedd officials said Otter 926, who was found at approximately 4 weeks old, is very independent, likes toys, and socializes with other otters well.
Otter 929 was found at approximately 6 weeks old. After the search for Otter 929’s mother was unsuccessful, Monterey Bay took her in. Officials said Otter 929 is a bit more “reserved and cautious” but enjoys interacting with other otters.
More information about sea otters at Shedd can be found on the aquarium’s website.
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