On Monday, a sea otter pup was rescued by the Alaska SeaLife Center near Homer. The pup, who was found stranded against rocks by strong current, was admitted to the center’s Wildlife Response Program, a Tuesday press release from the Alaska SeaLife Center said.
The pup is estimated to be about three weeks old and weighs 5 pounds, and staff said she’s in stable condition. The female pup was picked up in Homer, but due to road closures caused by the Swan Lake Fire, the center’s staff were unable to meet the pup in Homer. The Homer Vet Clinic cared for the pup overnight before Homer pilot, Duke Marolf, transported the pup to Seward through a donated flight.
Air transport of animals is rare at the Seward Airport and has only happened a few times in the center’s 20-year history, the release said.
With the arrival of the pup, the center now is caring for six sea otters. Four of the sea otters have graduated from the Wildlife Response Program and are awaiting their final placement, while the new pup and another pup named Tazlina are the youngest and require extensive, around-the-clock care. In the wild, sea otter pups are dependent on their mothers for about six months.
