Want to Help Name a Rescued Sea Otter Pup?

Earlier this month Shedd Aquarium took in two independently stranded sea otter pups; they’ll stay at Shedd until they’re ready to become surrogate moms to other abandoned or stranded sea otter pups! Shedd writes:

The two new additions, temporarily referred to as Otter 926 and Otter 929, will be raised at Shedd before returning to a partner institution in the surrogacy program when they are mature enough to be surrogate mothers to orphaned sea otter pups in the future. Shedd is the first inland aquarium to provide a temporary home for non-releasable female otters in support of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s innovative conservation program for this endangered species. The surrogacy program pairs rescued pups with non-releasable females to act as surrogate mothers, teaching pups the necessary skills to survive when they can be released to the wild.

“At Shedd, we’ve historically been a home for otters that could not return to the wild providing long-term care and connecting Chicagoans to this important keystone species,” said Peggy Sloan, chief animal operations officer at Shedd Aquarium. “As the aquatic animal world continues to grapple with the effects of climate change and widespread biodiversity loss, this shift is one way we can support solutions to bolster endangered populations in the wild.”

These arrivals mark an evolution in Shedd’s sea otter program. While caretakers will continue to use their skills in times of urgent need for rehabilitation efforts with partners and providing lifelong care for rescued otters, they will now also help prepare these young female otters to serve as surrogate mothers in the future. Surrogates teach rescued, orphaned pups critical life skills like how to groom their dense fur to survive cold Pacific Ocean temperatures and how to dive to great lengths to forage for food.

In the meantime, the pups need names! Shedd’s staff will name Pup 926, but they need help naming Pup 929! Here’s a little bit about the pups:

Otter 926 was originally found stranded at Asilomar Beach on Jan. 27, 2022, at approximately 4 weeks old and Monterey Bay Aquarium responded to the call from the private citizen and no adult sea otters were found in the vicinity to attempt a reunite. She is now 9 months old, and is very independent, interacts with toys frequently and socializes with other otters well. Otter 929 was originally found stranded at Carmel Beach State Park on March 2, 2022, at approximately 6 weeks old, and Monterey Bay Aquarium took her in after a search for the pup’s mother was unsuccessful. She is currently nearly 9 months old and is a bit more reserved and cautious, but she enjoys interacting with other otters.

The options for names for Pup 929 are Sunny, Jade, and Willow - be sure to cast your vote here!