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Not yet on exhibit, they will be part of Russia’s Grizzly Coast opening next summer.
The Zoo has acquired two additional orphaned and rescued sea otter pups, “Jasper” and “Rocky.” The pups arrived at the Minnesota Zoo in late August after being rehabilitated at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska this past summer. They will make their public debut, along with sea otter “Capers,” in June, 2008 when the Zoo opens its new exhibit, Russia’s Grizzly Coast. Although not on exhibit at this time, the Zoo has created this Web page with information, photos, and video clips so you can learn and watch them grow as the Zoo continues building their new home.
Sea Otter Press Release
Jasper was rescued near Homer, Alaska and arrived at the Alaska SeaLife Center between 2-4 weeks of age on June 29.
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Rocky was found abandoned near Craig, Alaska on July 31. |
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At the Minnesota Zoo, the pups receive 24-hour care including feeding, swimming, playing, grooming and sleeping. Currently the pups are eating formula and a variety of whole fish and shellfish. As they grow and mature, they will slowly be weaned off the formula. They gain about 100-200 grams daily and are learning to groom themselves, dive, and play–interactions that will help them in the future to live together in their new home in Russia's Grizzly Coast.
About Otters
Sea otters, which are threatened under the Endangered Species Act, are found in the Pacific Ocean and eat 20 to 25 percent of their weight daily. Unlike other marine mammals, they lack blubber to keep them warm and instead rely on their hyper-charged metabolism and dense fur to survive near-freezing waters. They wear the thickest fur in the animal kingdom, at one million hairs per square inch. Otters can quickly die from hypothermia if their fur becomes matted or soiled with oil or other pollutants, which is why they meticulously groom for several hours daily. Sea otters along with primates are among the very few animals that use tools.
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