First Surrogate Otter Mom Dies

Newser.com:

Staff at California's Monterey Bay Aquarium are mourning the most remarkable sea otter they have ever encountered.

Toola, who died at age 15, was the first captive sea otter ever to serve as a surrogate mother to others, raising a total of 13 pups, some of which now lead their own packs in the wild.

She was rescued in 2001 and became mother to an orphaned pup weeks afterward.

Read the whole story: Newser.com

Comments

[MzKimi2U]

12:56 PM on 03/06/2012

R.I.P. Little Otter! I personally love that Aquarium and my sympathies go out to them all!

[kareemachan]

12:18 PM on 03/06/2012

I was blessed to be able to observe sea otters in the wild when working at a remote field site in Alaska. They are smart, funny, and the females are wonderful mothers. I'll never forget when one youngster surfaced next to our Zodiac, realized he was near PEOPLE!! and started squealing for mom. She surfaced, grabbed him, and swam away. We watched her soothing him and bringing him clams to eat, very cute. When he started squealing when a male sea otter started paying attention to his mother, however, she didn't pay any attention. And I can say I've seen a sea otter pup hissy fit to end all hissy fits! LOL

RIP, Toola