2023-07-13 21:05:17
She is the subject of a wanted notice, as in the days of the “Wild West”: in California, an otter aggressive towards surfers, and sometimes capable of stealing their boards, is officially hunted by the authorities, who want to put an end to to his thefts.
This five-year-old female is making headlines in the American press this week, following repeated acts of piracy. The animal has been attacking surfers in Santa Cruz, not far from San Francisco, for several weeks now. But, in recent days, his audacity seems to have exceeded the limits.
In a video posted to Twitter on Monday, the sea otter climbs onto the board of a frightened boarder, who tries unsuccessfully to flip his board over to resist him. Not moved in the least, the mammal clings and begins to bite the foam object.
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“Due to the growing risk to public safety, a team […] trained in the capture and handling of sea otters, has been deployed to attempt to capture and relocate it elsewhere,” the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement Wednesday.
known to scientists
Sea otters narrowly escaped extinction in the North Pacific Ocean, having been hunted for their fur by American settlers until the turn of the 20th century. The species is still threatened, but has managed to rebound to reach 3000 specimens currently in the region.
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Unusual, the behavior of this female off Santa Cruz remains unexplained. The animal is known to local scientists. According to the New York Times, the otter was born in captivity to a mother who had lost her innate fear of humans following being nursed by many Californians.
To prevent the pattern from repeating itself, the staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, who cared for her before releasing her, went so far as to wear masks and ponchos. Despite these efforts, the female began approaching humans regarding a year following being released into the ocean.
ats/asch
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