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Shedd Aquarium rescues baby sea otter

Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is now home to an orphaned baby sea otter from California.

Aquarium officials said Thursday that the 10-week-old southern sea otter pup comes from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The female otter weighs 15 pounds and was found stranded near Cayucos, Calif., in December. She is staying at the Shedd’s Regenstein Sea Otter Nursery, where she is receiving 24-hour care. Shedd animal caretakers have named her Cayucos, after the beach where she was found.

Shedd experts say the baby otter is taking formula from a bottle and eating solid food, like shrimp and clams. Shedd officials hope she will be ready to meet the public this summer.

About 3,000 southern sea otters currently live in the wild. The species is listed as threatened.

Trainer Lana Vanagasem feeds an orphaned southern sea otter pup at the aquarium on Jan. 5. Courtesy of Shedd Aquarium
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