Second sea otter pup rescued on Vancouver Island

A tiny sea otter is in critical condition and receiving round-the-clock care in Vancouver after being rescued near Tofino, joining another pup found in similarly dire circumstances last month.

Having two pups in care at the same time is a first for the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, which has been operating for more than 60 years.

Luna, as the otter is now named, weighed just over 1.5 kilograms when she was found with the umbilical cord still attached.

"The pup was vocalizing with no mother in sight," a Tuesday statement from the rescue says.

The pup is being bottle-fed with specialized formula every 90 minutes and her prognosis is "guarded," according to VAMMR.

Pups this young are completely dependent on their mothers in the wild – unable to swim or regulate their body temperature on their own.

"The survival of this tiny pup depends on the intensive, round-the-clock care we are providing, and we are committed to giving her the best chance at life,"  VAMMR Executive Director Dr. Martin Haulena said in the news release.

The rescue comes on the heels of one on June 17, when another female sea otter pup was found in the same area on Vancouver Island. Now named Tofino, that pup has made progress but is unlikely to return to the wild, the rescue said in an update earlier this month. Re-releases of orphaned otters are generally very rare, given that they depend on their mothers to learn how to survive in the ocean.

Caring for two pups is something the non-profit says is challenging "both logistically and financially." People who want to help fund the otters' care can do so by "symbolically adopting" one or both of them, which requires a $30 donation.