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The Feisty Santa Cruz Surfboard Otter Had A Pup And The Pregnancy May Explain Her Behavior
Sea otter 841 foraging in shallow water in Santa Cruz, CA. She spent the summer harassing surfers, but marine experts say her unusual behavior may have been attributed to "hormonal surges related to pregnancy."
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Lilian Carswell
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USFWS
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Sea Otter 841 spent the summer terrorizing Santa Cruz surfers and kayakers. However, wildlife officials recently confirmed she gave birth to a pup and said her reign of terror could have been caused by "hormonal surges related to pregnancy."
Sea Otter 841 was first spotted in July harassing Santa Cruz surfers, bullying them of their surfboards, some of which she even took bites out of. Wildlife officials attempted a capture out of fear that she'd hurt someone, but to no avail. They also noted that she had been raised in captivity and released into the wild some time ago.
But a possible explanation for her behavior only recently emerged when U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services confirmed the otter gave birth to a pup. In a statement, officials said her behavior could have been attributed to her pregnancy.
While wildlife biologists suspected Sea Otter 841 may have been pregnant earlier this year, they were unable to verify the pregnancy without capturing the sea otter to perform a full health evaluation.
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"Hormonal surges related to pregnancy have been known to cause aggressive behavior in female southern sea otters," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement.
Officials say they will continue to monitor Sea Otter 841, but have no plans to capture her or the pup any time soon. They are reminding people that southern sea otters are protected by the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act and state law.
"Approaching a sea otter so closely that it changes its behavior may constitute a violation of these laws and could result in penalties, including fines up to $100,000 and potential jail time up to one year," the agency said.
They're also urging people to keep distance between the otter and her offspring, which will give the pair the best chance of surviving in the wild.
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