THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 93 



to the pup's flipper, the mother partially emerged from the water, 

 grasped the net in her teeth, and attempted to drag it and her 

 pup away. 



A captive mother and her very young pup were held in a high- 

 walled enclosure. During the windy night of 28 November 1957, 

 the enclosure door blew open and the mother escaped. When I 

 arrived soon after sunrise, I found her swimming about in the 

 surf near shore and shrieking repeatedly. On entering the en- 

 closure I found her pup still sleeping soundly. When I awoke the 

 pup and carried it outside, it began to cry in answer to its mother's 

 calls. In response, she rushed ashore and was easily recaptured. 



The fearlessness of a mother in coming to the aid of her pup is 

 often less strongly expressed than in the above two examples. 

 During tagging operations we frequently netted mothers with 

 large young. Usually when the mother was liberated in advance 

 of her pup, she swam 50 to 100 m. from shore where she uttered 

 repeated shrieks until joined by her pup. 



Whenever a mother with a small helpless pup was captured, we 

 attempted to return the pup to its mother as she was liberated. 

 Usually, the mother grasped the side of the pup's head in her 

 teeth and swam rapidly away. Occasionally, however, the fright- 

 ened mother failed to take her young one. On 5 April 1959 a 

 mother and her pup were captured and tagged on an Amchitka 

 beach. In my field notes I recorded : 



The mother of the newborn pup (Tag. No, EL 12938) was released close to 

 her helpless pup so that she brushed over it as she ran to the water, but she 

 failed to pick it up. This was at 1445. I watched from a hiding place until 

 1720 (2 hrs. and 35 min.). During this time, the mother swam about in a 

 200 m. radius, screaming frequently. She made 13 approaches to the beach, 

 then swam out among the reefs, and continued to utter loud screams. On 

 the 4th and 8th trips toward the beach, she approached to within 3-4 m. of 

 the pup, then became frightened and swam out. Three other otters hauled up 

 on the beach near the pup but the mother was not reassured and would not 

 come out onto the beach. When I left, because of cold, she was still in the 

 vicinity screaming. 



Because of the possible loss of the young during tagging oper- 

 ations, the capture of mothers with helpless pups was discontinued. 



A young otter may also demonstrate concern for its mother, as 

 suggested by my field notes (27 February 1962) : 



A mother and her 15-pound male pup were captured as they slept side-by- 

 side on the beach today at St. Makarius Pt. W. (Amchitka Island). They were 

 caught in separate nets. The pup was tagged first and released. Instead of 

 heading for the water he ran to his struggling mother, put his forepaws on 

 her side and began teaiing at the net with his teeth and tried to climb up on 

 her side. He had to be dragged away while a tag was placed on the mother's 



