An expert from SeaWorld traveled to Alaska last week to help nurse a baby walrus back to health after it was discovered all alone on the shore in the remote state.
SeaWorld was alerted about the orphan, which is just a few weeks old, by their partners at the Alaska SeaLife Center, who rescued the marine mammal after its herd departed without it.
The calf was dehydrated and malnourished by the time hunters spotted it and reported it to ALSC, who got permission from U.S. Fish & Wildlife to effect a rescue.
The walrus, which would normally rely heavily on its mother, is instead getting round-the-clock care from the staffer at SeaWorld, where the infant pinniped was brought 11 days ago.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
"She's actually doing great," SeaWorld zoological specialist Denise Higginbotham told NBC 7 earlier this week. "We're really hopeful because she's gaining weight consistently. Her blood work is getting more improved as the weeks go, and she seems pretty strong to me, which is great."
Higginbotham said she was unsure how unusual it was for calves to be orphaned in similar circumstances.
"The Alaska Sea Life Center has only rescued about 11 calves since 1998 when they opened, so it's not very common that we get them at this point," Higginbotham said. "We probably wouldn't know about most of them that are orphaned because of how remote walruses live from anywhere people normally are."
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Sadly, the calf is not expected to return to the wild, Higginbotham said.
"She will not be a candidate for release because these animals spend so much time with Mom, and she hasn't had that," Higginbotham said. "She is basically imprinting on people because that's what we need to do to make sure she's healthy. So she will be placed with a zoological facility, but it's unknown at this point where that would be."
Is it possible the baby walrus will end up in San Diego? Higginbotham said it was possible but that "making sure she is in a place for her that's best" is what's most important.
