The baby Pacific walrus was found emaciated and dehydrated in Utqiagvik, Alaska, after its herd left the area. It is now receiving special care at a facility and becoming an ambassador for the species.
Watch as keepers provide care and love to abandoned baby walruses
Organizations join forces to provide care and support for an orphaned Pacific walrus calf at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska.
An orphaned baby walrus found abandoned gets a new chance at life after being rescued from a remote corner of Alaska.
The female Pacific walrus, whose name has not yet been released, was found emaciated and dehydrated with “small superficial wounds all over her body” in Utqiagvik, Alaska, after her herd left the area, the Alaska SeaLife Center said in a news release Monday.
The center rescued the baby last month with permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Response Program. The walrus is now at the center’s facility in Seward, Alaska.
“During rehabilitation, staff act as surrogates, sitting with the calf around the clock and providing intensive care,” the center said, explaining that walrus calves stay with their mothers for one to two years and seek comfort through physical contact. Walruses are also very social creatures, the center said.
Although the walrus, estimated to be just a few weeks old, is showing positive signs of improvement, its condition remains critical and it is receiving intensive care.
“Challenging task”
Several organizations, including SeaWorld, Indianapolis Zoo and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, as well as several other Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited wildlife facilities, have been assisting the center in the rehabilitation of the young walrus since her birth on July 22.
“Caring for an orphaned walrus calf is an incredibly demanding task that requires unwavering dedication and expertise,” said Wei Ying Wong, the center’s president and CEO, in a statement. “We are monitoring her signs of improvement with cautious optimism and appreciate the support of our partners in providing the best possible care for her and all of our wildlife patients.”
The center has only accepted 11 walrus calves into its Wildlife Response Program since its founding in 1988, making this calf “very special,” the center said. It is the only organization “authorized to rehabilitate stranded marine mammals living in the state of Alaska.”
The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Washington is one of only four zoos in North America that keep walruses, so the zoo sent a member of its team to Alaska to help the baby.
Ambassador for her species
Because the walrus is used to human care, it will never be released into the wild. Instead, it will serve “as an important ambassador for its species and raise awareness of the challenges facing Pacific walruses and the ecosystems in which they live,” the center said.
“Walruses are great ambassadors for the Arctic and an inspiration to all of us to be better stewards of our shared planet,” Chris Dold, chief zoologist at SeaWorld, said in a statement. “We are honored to have walruses in our parks, offering our guests the opportunity to learn more about them and inspiring people to protect them and their habitat.”
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
