288 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 68 



If sea otters are to survive in captivity, they should, within 

 about 2 hours after capture, be placed in special quarters. The 

 quarters, whether in the field or in a zoo, must essentially simulate 

 the natural environment. If this procedure is not followed, death 

 may occur within a few hours or weeks, depending on which needs 

 are neglected and the degree of neglect. The following brief history 

 of experimental attempts to hold otters in various kinds of en- 

 closures illustrates the requirements for exacting care. 



The first modern U.S. attempt to hold captive sea otters was 

 made in March 1951. Refuge Manager Robert D. Jones of the 

 Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge and a crew of men 

 went to Amchitka Island aboard the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

 vessel Brown Bear. A camp was established at Crown Reefer Point, 

 and at least 35 otters were captured on tidal rocks. An attempt 

 to hold these animals in shallow, mud-bottomed, fresh-water lakes 

 was unsuccessful. All died within a few hours or a few days after 

 capture. 



In February 1954, Drs. Donald Stullken and Charles M. Kirk- 

 patrick, in company with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service em- 

 ployees, visited Amchitka. Information about the physiology of 

 sea otters and their behavior in captivity was obtained (Stullken 

 and Kirkpatrick, 1955; Kirkpatrick et al., 1955). Otters were kept 

 experimentally in two ways: (1) In a large wooden tank of sea 

 water and (2) in an abandoned house where dry grass was used 

 as bedding. All animals placed in the tank soon showed symptoms 

 of shock and exposure, and died within a few hours or a few days. 

 Of those kept on dry bedding, three were given constant attention 

 and survived. They were brought to Seattle in June 1954 by R. D. 

 Jones. Subsequently, when shipped to the National Zoological Park 

 in Washington, D.C., and placed in a small inside pool, all died 

 within a week. 



In March and April 1955, 31 otters were captured at Amchitka, 

 held on bedding of dry straw in a building, then placed aboard 

 ship in small cages having dry bedding (fig. 107). Forty percent 

 (12) of the animals died before leaving Amchitka or aboard ship. 

 The remainder are thought to have died soon after liberation at 

 the Pribilofs (see Transplant Attempts). It became obvious that 

 if the captive sea otters' fur became soiled, the animals could not 

 again clean their fur and survive after liberation in cold water. 



My sea otter studies began on 26 July 1955, when one Aleut 

 laborer, Antone Bezezekoff, and I went to Amchitka Island and 

 remained until 5 October. Our primary purpose was to learn how 

 to maintain captive sea otters in good health. We held otters ex- 



