Two baby sea otters recently rescued near Tofino have arrived at their new home at the Vancouver Aquarium and are already winning over visitors. The young female otters – named Tofino and Luna – were both found abandoned by their mothers earlier this summer, approximately one month apart.
After spending some time in the care of the Marine Mammal Rescue Society, the "otterly adorable" pups were delivered to the aquarium this week, the facility announced in a news release. Three-month-old Tofino will be viewable by visitors in a special nursery, while Luna currently remains under round-the-clock care.
"Animal health and wellbeing is our top priority, so she will need to reach certain health and behaviour milestones before she can join Tofino," the aquarium said.
Luna was in critical condition when she was discovered on July 13 on Vargas Island, off the west coast of Vancouver Island, with her umbilical cord still attached. There was no sign of her mother. The other otter was located on June 17 under similar circumstances, near her namesake city of Tofino.
Officials said neither of the pups can be released into the wild, a decision ultimately up to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The aquarium noted that under normal circumstances, otter pups are totally dependent on their mothers for their feeding and grooming needs during their early development – while Tofino and Luna received that care from people.
"Seal pups that are good candidates for release receive minimal human contact so that they do not become dependent on people, but sea otter pups need a lot more direct care to survive," the aquarium said. Tofino and Luna will not interact with other otters at the facility until they reach certain training milestones, and are strong enough to swim well, the aquarium said.
Otter Pups Require Constant Care
The young sea otter pup rescued earlier this summer has moved into one of the public tanks at the Vancouver Aquarium, but it's even more public than usual. The aquarium, which often has a sea otter webcam set up, has set its lens on the young otter so people can watch the little pup as she grows. "Our sea otter pup live stream is live now — you can watch Tofino all day long as she settles into her new habitat!" announces the aquarium on social media. The live stream is being hosted on YouTube. Currently Tofino has the tank to herself as she is too young and small to be with the other otters. Eventually she will meet them after she grows a bit and gets more training.
Aquarium marine mammal curator Juliana Kirkelie-Kim said both young pups still require constant care. “It’s kind of like a human baby where you are feeding them every two to three hours, we bottle feed them, we take them to the bathroom, we groom their coats,” she said. “We are never as good as mom but we do a pretty good job.”
Abandoned Otter Pups Need Specialized Care
Once an orphaned pup is rescued, it undergoes an emergency evaluation by veterinarians who check its blood sugar levels, body temperature and coat condition. Tofino, who was just two kilograms when she was found, has tripled in size but needs to be kept separate from the other otters at the aquarium because she’s still learning how to regulate her temperature, how to find food and how to groom herself, Kirkelie-Kim.
Even so, she’s being introduced to her peers through a glass barrier and also has the chance to get used to the sounds and smells of others of her kind. “As soon as we see she is strong enough to swim, haul out and do all the otter things and she also knows her name and knows where to get her food, we will start to first introduce her to the other younger otters and then the female otters,” Kirkelie-Kim said.
Tofino and Luna Become Permanent Residents
While the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre has an 80 per cent release rate for animals it cares for, both Tofino and Luna will become permanent residents at the Vancouver Aquarium. That’s because due to the intensity of human interaction they require and the inability of staff to teach them ocean survival skills federal officials have deemed the pups poor candidates for release, said Kirkelie-Kim.
Kirkelie-Kim said young pups can be abandoned for a variety of reasons, ranging from separation during a storm to predation or illness. But she warned that people who see what they think is an abandoned baby animal shouldn’t make any assumptions, noting that their mothers may be off and foraging. Anyone who believes they have found an abandoned marine mammal should call the Department of Fisheries and Oceans before doing anything.
How to Help
VAMMR is Canada’s only dedicated marine mammal rescue facility for animals like Tofino and Luna. The organization is urging the public to support them by symbolically adopting the baby sea otters or donating at vammr.org to help cover the rising costs of the pups’ care.
A Public Appeal
“The Vancouver Aquarium is thrilled to welcome the arrival of sea otter pups Tofino and Luna from VAMMR,” said the Aquarium on Instagram. “Tofino is currently in the main otter habitat and is available to view at the Aquarium. Luna remains in critical care and is being monitored by animal care and veterinary staff.”
A Growing Internet Sensation
Tofino was rescued at the age of only six-weeks old near the Vancouver Island town of the same name. Since then, she has been an internet sensation. With her adorable little squeaks and absolutely sweet little paws capturing millions of views and growing. Her rescue also comes just weeks after baby Tofino went viral after being found alone off the coast of Vancouver Island.
