"Baby Sea Otters Are Adorable. But They Aren’t Wanted Everywhere."

"To thrive and expand along the West Coast, otters need to remain wild."

"MONTEREY BAY, CALIF. — The two-and-a-half-week-old sea otter cried for help. Stranded in a tide pool after heavy winds and strong surf near the edge of the bay, it was ashore and alone.

When Sandrine Hazan arrived, she scruffed the 4-pound 10-ounce fuzzball by the nape of its neck. A stranding and rehabilitation manager at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, she knew this was the last chance to find this pup’s missing mom.

Hazan climbed high on the windblown beach and held the female pup up, allowing its meek calls to project over the clamoring waves. Maybe, she hoped, the mother otter would hear its baby and reveal itself — if it were still out there."

Dino Grandoni and Melina Mara report for the Washington Post September 19, 2023.

Source: Washington Post, 09/20/2023