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Rescued walrus calf dies of ‘multiple complications’

Published 9:30 pm Sunday, August 13, 2023

By Jake Dye Peninsula Clarion

A Pacific walrus pup rests his head on the lap of an Alaska SeaLife Center staff member after being admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center Wildlife Response Program on Aug. 1, 2023. Walruses are highly tactile and social animals, receiving near-constant care from their mothers during the first two years of life. To emulate this maternal closeness, round-the-clock “cuddling” is being provided to ensure the calf remains calm and develops in a healthy manner. (Photo courtesy Kaiti Grant/Alaska SeaLife Center)

A Pacific walrus pup rests his head on the lap of an Alaska SeaLife Center staff member after being admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center Wildlife Response Program on Aug. 1, 2023. Walruses are highly tactile and social animals, receiving near-constant care from their mothers during the first two years of life. To emulate this maternal closeness, round-the-clock “cuddling” is being provided to ensure the calf remains calm and develops in a healthy manner. (Photo courtesy Kaiti Grant/Alaska SeaLife Center)

A Pacific walrus calf rescued by the Alaska SeaLife Center’s Wildlife Response Program earlier this month has died of “multiple complications,” according to a post on the center’s Facebook page.

The calf, which was rescued from the North Slope and flown to Seward on Aug. 1, had earned national attention for its unique prescription of “round-the-clock” cuddling. Walruses, a release from the center explained, are “highly tactile and social” animals that require constant physical contact from their mothers in youth.

The center said that since the calf arrived, it had been struggling with “a number of serious health concerns” compounded by nutrient malabsorption. In the 24 hours prior to his death, those concerns produced “multiple complications.”

“Though our animal care teams worked tirelessly to provide round-the-clock critical care treatments, never leaving his side, the calf ultimately succumbed to his condition,” the center wrote. “For those that dedicate their lives to animal care, this is the hardest part of the job. We appreciate your understanding as the Center and its staff mourn, and we thank you for the outpouring of support that has come our way since this patient’s admission.”

To report an injured or stranded marine animal in Alaska, call the 24-hour Stranded Marine Animal Hotline at 1-888-744-7325.

For more information about the Alaska SeaLife Center and for continuing updates about the wildlife response patients, visit facebook.com/AlaskaSeaLifeCenter.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/peninsulaclarion.

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