Found on the side of the road near one of the busiest intersections in Pinellas County, Charlie, the orphaned otter pup is now thriving at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
“He arrived here thin, dehydrated and weighing only three pounds, but he’s grown steadily,” says trainer Abbie Brewer, who was first on the scene after employees at a nearby office called the aquarium. “CMA vet Dr. Janine Cianciolo checked him over recently and reported that he’s a healthy, robust river otter weighing about 13 pounds.”
Charlie eats about 2-1/2 pounds of capelin and lake smelt every day and he’s rambunctious and full of spunk, Brewer said.
Although he’s recuperating well, without his mother to teach him survival skills he has only a slim chance of success in the wild. Instead, he will serve as ambassador for his wild counterparts as part of the American Zoological Association’s Species Survival Plan for the North American river otter.
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