I really didn't intend to put this awesome picture on the blog this morning. I figured that with all the media coverage Tazo's transfer had attracted in the past 24 hours (see, for example, http://community.adn.com/adn/node/152649) that everyone would have seen enough of him.
But then I went for coffee and meetings uptown and just happened to overhear numerous passionate conversations about "how cute sea otters" are and even good natured debates about whether he should have "been allowed to leave" Alaska. Clearly Alaskans have a great affection for sea otters!
Those debates reminded me again of how important the strandings science and stewardship work that we do in partnership with agencies like the US Fish and Wildlife Service is. The Alaska SeaLife Center plays a unique role in marine mammal and seabird strandings in America's largest marine State - we have the only purpose designed facility for that work in Alaska. Our talented husbandry and veterinary team has an exceptional record rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing or transferring injured animals and in undertaking studies of dead animals. Both live and dead animal responses provide us with data that is incredibly valuable in understanding that species and the wider marine ecosystem. In the wake of the Gulf oil spill, we have been actively campaigning for greater support for a national network of institutions like ours to be able to respond to injured marine wildlife such as Tazo - that work has no dedicated funding source currently!
Whether you visit Tazo at the New York Aquarium or encounter sea otters in their natural habitat in Resurrection bay, spare a thought for the safety net that national marine wildlife strandings response institutions provide.... can you imagine how much poorer our seas and lives would be if we were to lose these ambassadors?
No comments:
Post a Comment