Mother Otter Cares for Baby

Mother sea otter will give birth at sea and then be a 24/7 caregiver for her new offspring as he or she transforms, over the next 6-8 months, from a helpless bundle of fur into a young sea otter ready to make it alone in the ocean. Her body will make rich milk to nurse her growing pup, and when the pup is just a few weeks old, she will share her prey, teaching her pup what’s good to eat and how to eat it. As any parent can relate, these months of dependency can be physically taxing, and sea otter moms will be pushed to their survival limits by the time their pup becomes independent. Every year her reproductive cycle replays ─ estrus, pregnancy, birth, pup rearing, weaning, estrus ─ until her death. She will give her all to launch successful, independent sea otters into the world. ~www.seaottersavy.org