July 15 (UPI) — California and federal wildlife officials have pledged their commitment to safely capturing a sea otter that has been exhibiting “aggressive” behavior towards surfers and kayakers in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Cruz.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Friday their determined efforts to secure the 5-year-old female otter, known as Otter 841, who has gained notoriety for biting surfboards and displaying other aggressive actions.
Known as Otter 841, this otter was born at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and released into the wild in 2021.
The organizations have assembled a team of capture specialists from the CDFW and the Monterey Bay Aquarium in an attempt to catch the otter since July 2, but their efforts have thus far proved unsuccessful.
Earlier this week, officials employed a dummy surfer to attract the otter but were unable to do so.
Jess Fuji, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Program Manager, explained that “although this otter was born in an animal care facility, she was raised by her mother with minimal human contact.”
“Upon capture, the sea otter will undergo a health assessment and eventually be relocated to a zoo or aquarium,” state and federal wildlife officials stated in a joint statement released on Friday.
“The typical method for safely capturing healthy wild sea otters involves a discreet underwater approach,” said Colleen Young, a sea otter biologist at the CDFW.
“However, in this case, the water has been generally too murky for us to see the otter from below. We are adapting alternative capture methods for this situation, but we must prioritize the safety of both the sea otter and the individuals attempting the capture, which has limited our options and opportunities,” continued Young.
The otter has been equipped with a radio transmitter to track its location, but scientists anticipate that capturing the otter could take several days or even weeks.
“Our objective is the safe capture of this female sea otter to eliminate the potential public safety risk, while also acknowledging the vital role sea otters play in coastal ecosystems along the Central California coast,” stated Lilian Carswell of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Once captured, the otter will be taken to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for examination before being relocated to a permanent home in an aquarium or zoo. The organizations emphasize that “euthanasia and other lethal methods are not under consideration.”
Officials are urging surfers and kayakers to refrain from approaching sea otters.
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