Chicago's Shedd Aquarium has a new resident — an orphaned southern sea otter that was rescued from the California coast north of Monterey.
Someone apparently heard the week-old pup's plaintive squeal on a stroll along Coastaways Beach between San Mateo and Santa Cruz, Calif., in late September and informed the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Program.
According to Shedd's website: "Weighing just over 2 pounds, the pup was tiny, even for a newborn, and one of the smallest rescues in the Sea Otter Program's 30-plus years. Karl Mayer, the program's animal care coordinator, gauged that she had been separated from her mom for at least 16 hours and was in dire need of food."
Designated "Pup 681" by the aquarium, she was provided round-the-clock intensive care for four weeks before being handed over to the Chicago aquarium, which will be her permanent home.
Another video showing her arrival at Shedd last week can be seen here.
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