An orphaned northern sea otter pup rescued from Alaska last month has been taken to Southern California for treatment at SeaWorld San Diego, park officials said Wednesday.
Cinder, now 5 weeks old, was stranded against rocks near Homer, Alaska, when she was discovered on Aug. 18, according to a SeaWorld news release. At the time, she weighed just 5 pounds.
The tiny pup was underweight and dehydrated when she was first treated in Alaska, but Cinder quickly adapted to bottle feeding. Soon enough, her condition stabilized, according to the release.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deemed the sea otter non-releasable, and Cinder was flown down to San Diego to continue treatment on Saturday.
At the facility, she receives round-the-clock care from SeaWorld’s animal rescue team and veterinarians at the park’s sea otter nursery.
Cinder is in good condition as she adjusts to life at her new home.
The pup is given specialized baby otter milk formula every three hours, and animal care staff are helping her groom herself and swim.
For the time being, Cinder will remain in the otter nursery. When the time comes, she’ll be introduced to the other four female sea otters, whose ages range from 5 to 9 years old.
Like Cinder, Mocha, Coco, Clover and Pumpkin were also orphaned and rescued as pups, according to the release.
The park expressed hope that guests will be able to view its newest resident in the near future.