Meet Shedd Aquarium's Newest Star, Luna The Sea Otter
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Shedd Aquarium's newest resident got her name Friday, and it's Luna.
More than 10,000 votes were cast in the contest to name the rescued orphan sea otter who had been known as Pup 681. Luna was one of five names offered in the contest, including Cali, Ellie, Poppy, and Ana.
Luna was only days old on Sept. 30, when she was found alone on a beach in California.
"We don't know why mom didn't come back. It could be she was a first-time mom that didn't know what to do, or perhaps she lost her way," said Tim Binder, who supervises the aquarium's rescue program.
Shedd members and staff gathered in the aquarium's Pacific Northwest otter habitat for the naming party.
Aquarium staffers have been playing the role of mom since Luna arrived at the Shedd in late October.
"The really unique thing about these animals is they have to be taught the skills that they need to survive," Binder said. "If mom is not there to teach them how to survive, they can't be taught how to survive and then be released back into their natural habitat."
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Trainers have been teaching her how to feed herself, groom herself, and dive and swim, so she can eventually join the other otters at the Pacific Northwest habitat.
She weighed just less than 6 pounds, and was 22.6 inches long when she arrived at the Shedd in late October, after a few weeks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. As of Friday, she was up to about 14 pounds. She's been eating crab, shrimp, and clams; and drinking baby formula to help her grow.
Luna has been viewed more than 5 million times on YouTube.
Though she was playing and swimming in the Pacific Northwest habitat for Friday's naming Party, she won't be on display at the aquarium again until Spring 2015. Until then she'll stay out of sight in the Shedd nursery.
