The orphaned sea otter pup, rescued off the coast of Santa Cruz County, has found a new home at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. This female pup is the aquarium’s first “surrogate-raised” otter, being prepared for potential release back into the wild through a partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Surrogacy Program.
Paired with an adult female to learn essential skills like foraging and grooming, the pup is taking its first steps towards survival in the wild. The aquarium’s commitment to conservation extends to helping stranded sea pups get a second chance at returning to their natural habitat.
With support from the California Coastal Conservancy Sea Otter Recovery Grant Program, the aquarium has constructed a dedicated surrogacy facility to care for these orphaned pups. This initiative aims to educate visitors about the importance of southern sea otter populations and the role they play in maintaining coastal ecosystems.
Southern sea otters, once hunted to near extinction, have made a remarkable recovery but still face threats like oil spills, pollution, and climate change. The efforts of the Aquarium of the Pacific, in collaboration with partners like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, are crucial in ensuring the continued survival of these marine mammals. Please rewrite the given text for me.
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