KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Orphaned sea otter pup dies at SeaLife Center
Member Center:
Skittle was one of the center's main attractions. (KTUU-DT)
Skittle's story brought visitors from all over the state. (KTUU-DT)
Skittle removed part of a concrete drain and got caught in it Wednesday morning. (KTUU-DT)
The SeaLife Center plans to hold a small memorial for Skittle later this week. (KTUU-DT)by Ashton Goodell
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Anchorage, Alaska -- An orphaned sea otter died at the Alaska SeaLife Center on Wednesday
Skittle was one of the center's main attractions. He drowned after getting caught in a pool drain.
Skittle removed part of a concrete drain and got caught in it Wednesday morning.
In April, Skittle lost his mother as a pup and survived a several-hundred-mile journey that led him to the marine life center in Seward.
Skittle's story brought visitors from all over the state.
The center said Skittle was healthy and ready to move on to the Bronx Aquarium in New York.
SeaLife Center staff plan to drain the tank to see how they can keep this from happening again but say it was unforeseeable.
"This was really unexpected," Ian Dutton, president and CEO of the SeaLife Center, said. "We had really thoroughly vetted the habitat for sea otters and in effect monitored him very closely. We had our staff go through and do a full, like baby-proofing, to make sure it was fine for sea otters."
The SeaLife Center plans to hold a small memorial for Skittle later this week.
Contact Ashton Goodell at agoodell@ktuu.com
Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
