ZOMG! I saw those very otters at the Vancouver Aquarium just a few years ago. My husband had to peel me off the fence as I was just so overwhelmed by Teh Cute in person.
...more about the white otter (the even sleepier one), named Nyac:
Nyac has a long tale By MATT KIELTYKA, 24 HOURS
The Vancouver Aquarium's eldest sea otter may seem no different from its furry companions, but Nyac has one amazing tale.
That's because she's one of the last remaining survivors of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska 18 years ago.
As many as 5,000 otters were killed in the 1989 spill, but Nyac - then a six-month old pup - was saved by a group of veterinarians and taken to the Vancouver Aquarium for rehabilitation.
"It's amazing, so many other otters died right off the bat," said Dr. Marty Haulena, Nyac's vet for the past year. "She showed us otters could be rehabilitated."
Senior marine mammal scientist Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, who saw the aftermath of the Prince William Sound spill firsthand, told 24 hours that oil-covered otters die within mere hours if not treated.
That's because the oil clumps together their thick fur and allows water to contact skin, exposing otters to hypothermia.
Long-term complications such as liver disease and a depleted food supply have also heavily hit the otter population at the Sound.
Nyac survived all of that, however, and is now one of the oldest known otters in captivity and has successfully given birth to three pups.
Aquarium staff will be using this week to remember the 18th anniversary of the oil spill and teach visitors about the lasting effects on the environment, with Nyac taking centre stage.
This published video has been declared non-functional; embed code must be fixed within 2 days or it will be sent to the dead pool - declared dead by mintbbb.
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Great - I've been blinded by cuteness.
Nyac has a long tale
By MATT KIELTYKA, 24 HOURS
The Vancouver Aquarium's eldest sea otter may seem no different from its furry companions, but Nyac has one amazing tale.
That's because she's one of the last remaining survivors of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska 18 years ago.
As many as 5,000 otters were killed in the 1989 spill, but Nyac - then a six-month old pup - was saved by a group of veterinarians and taken to the Vancouver Aquarium for rehabilitation.
"It's amazing, so many other otters died right off the bat," said Dr. Marty Haulena, Nyac's vet for the past year. "She showed us otters could be rehabilitated."
Senior marine mammal scientist Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, who saw the aftermath of the Prince William Sound spill firsthand, told 24 hours that oil-covered otters die within mere hours if not treated.
That's because the oil clumps together their thick fur and allows water to contact skin, exposing otters to hypothermia.
Long-term complications such as liver disease and a depleted food supply have also heavily hit the otter population at the Sound.
Nyac survived all of that, however, and is now one of the oldest known otters in captivity and has successfully given birth to three pups.
Aquarium staff will be using this week to remember the 18th anniversary of the oil spill and teach visitors about the lasting effects on the environment, with Nyac taking centre stage.
http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/2007/03/20/3789098-sun.html
Suckers.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b96_1233177267 this should be a working link.
still live on youtube (over 12 million views!).