Current:Home > MyRescued walrus calf ‘sassy’ and alert after seemingly being left by her herd in Alaska-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Rescued walrus calf ‘sassy’ and alert after seemingly being left by her herd in Alaska
View Date:2024-12-23 23:11:19
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A walrus calf seemingly left behind by her herd near Alaska’s northernmost city is alert and “sassy” as she receives care at a nonprofit wildlife response center hundreds of miles away following her recent rescue, a center spokesperson said Thursday.
Alaska SeaLife Center spokesperson Kaiti Grant said the nearly 165-pound (75-kilogram), crinkly-bodied Pacific walrus arrived at the center in Seward late Monday from Utqiagvik, some 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) away. An initial exam indicated the calf, thought to be a couple weeks old, was malnourished and dehydrated. The calf also had superficial wounds on her body, though it wasn’t clear what caused them, and little is known of the circumstances that caused her to be left alone, Grant said.
Hunters had reported that a walrus herd had recently been in the beach area where the calf was found, according to the center, which is also a public aquarium and research facility.
The calf arrived at the center nearly a year after it took in a 200-pound (90-kilogram) male calf that was found alone and miles from the ocean on Alaska’s North Slope. That baby, which struggled with health issues, such as nutrient malabsorption, and other complications, later died.
Grant called the loss of the calf last year devastating, but said staff were cautiously hopeful about their new patient, who is still undergoing tests and is just the 11th walrus the center has cared for in its 26-year history. The calf has taken to a bottle well, Grant said.
But she said the animals have special needs and the first several weeks likely will be a crucial stage until staff know the calf has stabilized.
Since walrus calves seek comfort through contact with their mothers, the center says staff provide round-the-clock attention.
Calves typically stay with their mothers for two years.
Pacific walruses live in the Bering and Chukchi seas. They haul out on sea ice and along the coast and islands of Alaska and Russia, according to the state Department of Fish and Game.
veryGood! (5358)
Related
- US inflation may have picked up in October after months of easing
- How to watch the Oscars on Sunday night
- 30 years after the siege, 'Waco' examines what led to the catastrophe
- This tender Irish drama proves the quietest films can have the most to say
- Spirit Airlines cancels release of Q3 financial results as debt restructuring talks heat up
- Ke Huy Quan wins Oscar for best supporting actor for 'Everything Everywhere'
- 'Saint Omer' is a complex courtroom drama about much more than the murder at hand
- Roberta Flack's first piano came from a junkyard – five Grammys would follow
- Veterans face challenges starting small businesses but there are plenty of resources to help
- 5 YA books this winter dealing with identity and overcoming hardships
Ranking
- 'I know how to do math': New Red Lobster CEO says endless shrimp deal is not coming back
- Get these Sundance 2023 movies on your radar now
- We royally wade into the Harry and Meghan discourse
- The first Oscars lasted 15 minutes — plus other surprises from 95 years of awards
- Jennifer Garner and Boyfriend John Miller Are All Smiles In Rare Public Outing
- R. Kelly sentenced to one more year in prison for child pornography
- In 'No Bears', a banned filmmaker takes bold aim at Iranian society
- Wattstax drew 100,000 people — this 1972 concert was about much more than music
Recommendation
-
What is ‘Doge’? Explaining the meme and cryptocurrency after Elon Musk's appointment to D.O.G.E.
-
See all the red carpet looks from the 2023 Oscars
-
2023 Oscars Guide: International Feature
-
Colin Kaepernick describes how he embraced his blackness as a teenager
-
J.Crew Outlet Quietly Drops Their Black Friday Deals - Save Up to 70% off Everything, Styles Start at $12
-
2023 Oscars Guide: Documentary Feature
-
Salman Rushdie's 'Victory City' is a triumph, independent of the Chautauqua attack
-
'The Daily Show' guest hosts (so far): Why Leslie Jones soared and D.L. Hughley sank