Over the next week, Shedd Aquarium is looking for help to name one of the two female otters that arrived in Chicago from California this month. These furry marine mammals will join the rescued sea otter population in the exhibit in the Abbott Oceanarium.
Otters 926 and 929 are a 9-month-old pair that were discovered separately on the coast of California. At just two weeks old, they were found alone with no mother or adult otters in sight, according to a statement from Shedd Aquarium. The Monterey Bay Aquarium rescued the two and ever since, the otters have been referred to as their intake numbers, 926 and 929.
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The animal care team that oversees the health and well-being of North America’s smallest marine mammals, will vote to name otter 926.
Meanwhile, the public will get to vote to name otter 929.
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The Shedd Aquarium staff created a short list of names for the public to choose from, each inspired by a location along the coast of California where sea otters can be found.
Jade is for the Jade Cove located in the southern area of Big Sur in California. Sunny is for Sunset Beach next to Asilomar Beach in California. Willow is for the Willow Creek Picnic Area and Beach in Monterey County, California.
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Members of the public can submit digital votes as many times as they would like.
Since their arrival at Shedd on Oct. 11, the otters have been living behind the scenes while getting used to their new environment and bonding with their new caregivers.
The otters will be in Chicago only temporarily.
Both are in a new program in which young female otters are trained to act as surrogate mothers.
While at Shedd, the pair will learn how to care for orphaned pups, as they once were. Otters 926 and 929 will be trained by Shedd staff on diving, foraging and carrying pups.
Once trained, the juvenile otters will return to California to be matched with pups that they will nurture until the little otters are ready to be released into the wild.
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