Abandoned Sea Otter Finds Home in Vancouver Aquarium

An abandoned sea otter that was found in Alaska has found a permanent home in the Vancouver Aquarium, according to media reports.

The otter pup was found on a road near Homer, Alaska. The pup was taken in by the Alaska SeaLife Center and was provided with emergency care. Later, she was taken by the Vancouver Aquarium that provided round-the-clock care for the stranded otter pup.

The Aquarium has said that the cost of caring for the pup has exceeded $40,000, most of which has gone to fly in experts to take care of it.

"We've already established a special bond with her and are so pleased to welcome her to her new home at the Aquarium," said Brian Sheehan, curator of marine mammals, in a press release from the Aquarium, The Vancouver Sun.

The otter is now about seven months and weighs about 15 kilograms or 33 pounds. The pup is reported to have a healthy appetite and is eating a "nutritious diet of clams, squid, shrimp and crab," according to the Vancouver Aquarium website.

The otter pup will soon be spending time with Tanu, another female sea otter found stranded in Alaska in 2004.

Sea otters are an aquatic member of the weasel family and are found near the coasts of Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. By the early 20^th century, only 2,000 sea otters were left in the wild. Now, their population is increasing and 100,000 to 150,000 sea otters are protected by law, according to the National Geographic.

Give the sea otter a name

The Vancouver Aquarium is asking people to vote for a name for the otter - Susitna, Katmai or Glacier. Votes can be submitted on Twitter @vancouveraqua using #otterlove.