Baby walrus gets ‘round-the-clock cuddling’, as US aquarium staff try to keep it alive
- The one-month-old calf was found alone and far from the sea, and is getting constant care like it would from its mother, including a warm body to lean against
- Young walruses rely on their mums for their first two years of life, raising concerns about the infant’s ability to survive without intervention
A 90kg (200-pound) walrus calf found alone and far from the ocean on Alaska’s North Slope is being fed every three hours and receiving round-the-clock “cuddling” from doting animal welfare workers who are trying to keep the one-month-old baby alive.
The male Pacific walrus – who, so far, doesn’t have a name – was found on Monday and flown a day later from the North Slope to Seward, where the Alaska SeaLife Centre is based, a journey of over 1,000km (620 miles).
Staff with the non-profit research facility and public aquarium are caring for the gigantic, brown, wrinkly-skinned baby, which was dehydrated and possibly fighting an infection.
In an effort to mimic the near-constant care a calf would get from its mum, the walrus is receiving “round the clock ‘cuddling’” to keep it calm and aid in its development, the centre said.
It described the cuddling as trained staff giving the walrus “the option to have a warm body to lean up against, which he has been taking advantage of almost constantly”.