Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Chicago's Orphaned Otter 'Pup 681' Gets A Real Name

"Pup 681" during a feeding at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
Brenna Hernandez Shedd Aqarium
"Pup 681" during a feeding at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

An orphaned southern sea otter pup that was rescued from the California coast and ended up at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium might well be over the moon about her new name: Luna.

The otter had been designated "Pup 681" by the aquarium, which held a contest to name her. More than 10,000 votes were cast and the name Luna beat out Cali, Ellie, Poppy and Ana.

The name Luna is meant to signify California's Half Moon Bay, near where the pup was rescued.

Advertisement

As we reported last month, Luna was a mere two pounds when she was found in October on Coastaways Beach between San Mateo and Santa Cruz, Calif., by someone out for a walk. She first went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium but was later moved to Shedd.

The Chicago Tribune, says:

"A team of trainers and marine staff at Shedd have been devoted to providing 24-7 care to Luna since her arrival in late October. She was one of the tiniest otters ever rescued by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's team and has come incredibly far. Now almost twelve weeks old, the pup is up to 14 pounds from just 2. "Luna receives eight feeding sessions daily and four types of seafood have been added to her diet. She still is fed from a bottle and is learning essential behavior for her survival like foraging for food and grooming on her own."

Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.