5-18-10: Two concerned citizens found Kaladi alone on the beach in Kodiak, AK. Amanda Ledoux and David Cox observed her for a couple of hours before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was contacted. Thanks to the observations and assistance provided by Amanda and David, the care and transport provided by Tonya Lee of USFWS and a flight donated by Era Aviation, Kaladi was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center's rehabilitation program the next day.
5-19-10: Kaladi's admit exam shows her to be in good body condition. She still has a small umbilicus, and is estimated to be about 2 days old.
5-21-10: Kaladi has been receiving 24 hour care by the rehabilitation staff. Sea Otter pups are fully dependent on their mothers for 6-8 months, so Kaladi will require around-the-clock care and attention from staff and interns.
5-23-10: Since her arrival at the center, Kaladi has been bottle fed a formula of squid and clams. She has been suckling well, and is currently being fed every 2 hours. Due to their extremely high metabolism, otter pups her age need to consume about 30% of their body weight daily.
5-26-10: Kaladi is teething, and lets us know by being exceptionally fussy! She likes her frozen ice toys, and can most often be seen with one in her mouth before falling asleep.
5-28-10: Explore, explore, explore! Kaladi loves crawling around her crib and playing with her toys.
5-31-10: Kaladi has been eating well, and is growing very quickly. Today she weighs 1.9 kg, or just over 4 lbs.
6-2-10: Today Kaladi was introduced to a larger pool. She loves to float on her back and play at the surface!
6-4-10: Kaladi still spends most of her time eating and sleeping, but with her increased swim time her coat requires extra attention. Sea otters don't have any blubber, but instead rely entirely on their dense coat for insulation. This means keeping on top of her grooming is a must! A more mature otter would spend endless hours grooming and blowing air into their fur, but at Kaladi's young age she can't yet do this for herself. Her caretakers have been busy keeping her coat in top shape!
6-11-10: Kaladi is eating well and gaining weight steadily. She has almost doubled her weight since coming to the ASLC!
6-14-10: Kaladi was introduced to solid food today. In between suckling she gets tiny pieces of clam, and she loves them!
6-19-10: Her caretakers have noticed Kaladi becoming increasingly fussy over the past day. She was found to have a low blood-glucose level. Extra glucose was added to her formula to keep up with her nutritional and metabolic needs.
6-22-10: Kaladi has been much more comfortable the past few days. Now that she is stable, ASLC stranding staff began weaning her off of the additional glucose by increasing her clam intake. Her glucose levels are being tested regularly, and are still stable.
6-25-10: Today Kaladi moved to her new, permanent home - Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in North Tacoma, WA! An ASLC stranding staff member flew with Kaladi, and will spend the next few days making sure she is adjusting well to her new home.
