Baby walrus bottle-fed, rescued by staff after being miles away from Alaska's North Slope
SEWARD, ALASKA -- A rescued walrus calf was provided 24-hour care at a nonprofit research facility in Seward, Alaska, after being recently found miles away from the ocean on Alaska's North Slope, footage captured on August 1 shows.
Video released by Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) shows the young walrus being caressed and bottle-fed by doting staff at the facility upon its arrival to the facility on August 1.
According to details in a press release provided by ASLC, the male Pacific walrus was estimated to be around one-month old and was spotted by workers on July 31 about four miles inland from the Beaufort Sea - "a highly unusual location for a Pacific walrus," ASLC said, adding that the species usually reside exclusively in the ocean or near the western coastline. It was transported to their Seward-based facility the next day.
"Walrus calves depend on maternal care for their first two years of life, and with no adults in the vicinity, it was apparent that the wayward calf would not survive long without intervention," ASLC said. After an initial examination, the main concerns found by the veterinary team were "malnutrition, dehydration, and a cloudy eye," suggesting it may have been fighting an infection.
Following the examination, staff began a 24-hour care regimen for the walrus due to the highly tactile and social nature of walruses, which receive "near-constant care from their mothers during the first two years of life," the center said.
"To emulate this maternal closeness, round-the-clock "cuddling" is being provided to ensure the calf remains calm and develops in a healthy manner. Calves tend to habituate quickly to human care," the release said.
Though the walrus calf cannot currently be viewed publicly, he may be relocated to an area with public viewing as his condition improves, the center said.