A 5-month-old California sea otter pup rescued in Monterey found a new home at SeaWorld Friday.
The female pup was found stranded on a Monterey beach in February, underweight and suffering from parasites, said SeaWorld spokeswoman Kelly Terry. The Monterey Bay Aquarium staff took the pup in and treated her until she was stabilized, Terry said.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service deemed the otter non-releasable. Because the Monterey aquarium was full, staff needed to find her a long-term home, so they turned to SeaWorld, Terry said.
SeaWorld veterinarians and animal care specialists are working with the pup and will eventually introduce her to her new roommates, the other otters on display at Rocky Point Preserve.
SeaWorld staff are treating the pup to a diet of shrimp, crab, squid and other shellfish and are administering her medications, Terry said.
Since she was found on the beach, the pup's weight has gone from 13 to 20 pounds, which is still far below the 44 pounds wild adult female California sea otters can weigh, Terry said.
The California sea otter is listed as a threatened species by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service because of oil spills, entanglement in fishing nets and disease.
