The Minnesota Zoo saves two orphaned sea otter pups
MINNEAPOLIS -- A sea otter pup, orphaned after an orca killed its mother in Alaska, is now receiving care at the Minnesota Zoo.
A second pup rescued by the zoo's partner, Alaska SeaLife Center, is also here.
The zoo's team returned last week from a 20-hour transport after the pups were medically stable to travel. Only WCCO got a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to care for them and the plans for their future.
Meet the Minnesota Zoo's newest sea otters. Seven-week old Nuka.
And Denali. She's about 5-months-old.
"They're constantly active. They are little busy bodies so they're either sleeping or doing something, whether it's grooming, playing, hunting," Dr. Annie Rivas, DVM, Director of Animal Health said.
Before the sea otter pups can make their zoo debut, they need to be healthy, and gain strength and skills.
"When we have any orphaned baby, it is around the clock care just like you would have with a human baby. But this is a way for us to give animals a chance that otherwise wouldn't survive," Rivas said.
Animal care staff are helping Nuka and Denali with things they would usually learn from their moms in their wild. Nuka practices her adult skills, swimming and using her hands to with the ice and toys to learn how to hunt.
"Play is a good way for them to work toward those skills they're going to need for the rest of their life," Rivas said.
And grooming is a main part of survival. Christoph Noetzli, Curator of Aquariums and Marine Mammals, says sea otters have the densest fur of any mammal on earth.
"They don't have the blubber that most mammals do, so they have a lot of hair so they have to groom it all the time to stay warm and keep waterproof. So the mothers would be constantly grooming them in their infancy. So without the moms it's up to us. So got to spend a lot of hours, scrubbing them, using a blow dryer, a comb, making sure their coat is in perfect condition," Noetzli said.
They have a rapid metabolism, so feedings happen throughout the day and night when they're young. Sea otters are known for being smart, motivated animals. They're already showing personality.
"Denali is definitely more chill. She's trained quite a bit, she'll follow a target, she'll follow you around," Noetzli said.
When the time is right, they'll bring Nuka and Denali together. And eventually unite them with the zoo's older sea otters: Capers, Jasper and Rocky.
"Our hope is one day they'll be part of the same social family group," Rivas said.
The sea otter pups will receive care for the next few months. They should be on view to zoo-goers sometime this winter.