Animal Research of the Week

This week we are going to focus on the Sea Otter!

The Sea Otter is on the top 50 list of endangered animals. It is devastating!

Why are Sea Otters endangered? They were almost hunted to extinction in the 1700’s and 1800’s for their thick fur. Later on in 1911 the International Fur Seal Treaty was passed to protect these animals. In 1977 the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act stepped in and stopped the population from sinking. But, the otters have had a slow recovery since then.

Oil spills and water traffic have been a big part of this tragedy. They’ve been caught in nets and traps to be sold. Also, they eat a lot of the same fish as humans do, for example, clams, urchins, and shellfish. Without the food they need they starve.

Can Sea Otters protect them selves? Yes, they can. Sea Otters seem very cuddly but you would not want to get in a fight with them. There are three main ways the stay safe. One is the escape from the scene and find a new place to live. To addition to that they hide in tall kelp where they sleep. Finally, the attack, because they have very big teeth they can fight with.

Did you learn anything? Hopefully this will push you to help!

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▧ Original image unavailable