Just over a year ago, Wally the sea otter was struggling for life after a shotgun blast to the face blinded him. But on Thursday, the recovered animal was socializing for the first time with another of his kind.
On Oct. 18, the blinded animal was found on a beach near Tofino with a broken flipper and unable to groom himself – a potentially fatal weakness for sea otters, who rely on their coats for warmth. Here’s footage of the otter a month after his rescue:
On Thursday, the otter, whom the Vancover Aquarium’s staff also call Walter, was introduced to Tanu, a female that the Fisheries Department has determined wouldn’t be able to survive if released in the wild. The aquarium’s Martin Haulena told The Canadian Press that Walter was responding well to Tanu.
