Pup of Otter That Survived Oil Spill Dies

An Alaskan sea otter born a week ago to one of the survivors of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill has died, Sea World officials said Monday.

The 4-day-old pup died shortly after dawn Saturday after a bout with hypothermia that was probably brought on by undernourishment, a spokesman said.

Sea World veterinarians separated the 4-pound pup from its mother Friday after the pup showed a temperature of 75 degrees, 24 degrees lower than is normal for the species.

The pup died about eight hours later, despite efforts to warm the animal and administer fluids. Animal care specialists said it was not clear whether the pup became malnourished because it was unable to nurse properly or digest milk, or whether its mother was not producing enough milk. Results of a necropsy, or animal post-mortem, are pending.

The pup was the second born to a survivor of the worst oil spill in U.S. history. The first, sired by the same father, was born last May. It was stricken with a life-threatening illness one month after its birth, but was nursed back to health by park animal-care experts.

Almost 30 sea otters that survived the Exxon Valdez oil spill are in captivity, nine of them at Sea World.