Adorable, Orphaned Baby Otters Find a New Home at the Minnesota Zoo
I saw the news yesterday on Facebook that the Minnesota Zoo had just taken in some baby sea otters and they're so adorable! Sadly they had been orphaned but thankfully there are people at the Minnesota Zoo who can help.
Orphaned Baby Sea Otters at the Minnesota Zoo
If you've ever been to the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley I'm sure you've seen the sea otters that they have. They're so dang cute and I just love sitting and watching them for a while when I go.
I went to a high school that was connected with the Minnesota Zoo so I spent a lot of time at the zoo in my high school years. If my friends and I had time we would just go watch the sea otters.
Now the sea otter exhibit is going to get so much cuter in a few months with the little ladies.
They've been named Nuka and Denali and they were both orphaned in Alaska. So they've made quite the trip to get here.
The two aren't related but were found just a few days apart, both orphaned. WCCO writes that, sadly, at least one of the moms was killed by an orca. They were initially cared for by the staff at the Alaska SeaLife Center and then they were transported to Minnesota.
They're quite young, Nuka being about 7 weeks old and Denali being about 5 months old. The Minnesota Zoo writes,
Northern sea otter pups are highly dependent on their mothers during the first several months of their life, leading to a drastically reduced survival rate when orphaned. While the two female pups still have a long health journey ahead, their futures are looking more optimistic.
They're cared for around the clock right now and appear to be doing well! They won't make a public appearance for at least a few months, but in the meantime, we can appreciate their cuteness on the zoo's social media.
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Gallery Credit: Nicole Caldwell